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Schumacher sets the early pace in practice
Source: Agencies/Shanghai Daily |
April 14, 2012, Saturday
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MICHAEL Schumacher could be closing in on his first pole position in six years after setting the fastest practice time at the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai yesterday.
The Mercedes driver's time was 1:35.973, a tenth of a second faster in the afternoon practice than McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, who took back-to-back poles to start the season at the Australian GP and Malaysian GP.
"They looked quite quick, particularly in the last session," Hamilton said of Schumacher. "I think the Red Bull is very very quick (as well)."
Red Bull teammates Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber had the third- and fourth-fastest times of the session.
Schumacher, a seven-time world champion, has yet to finish on the podium since coming out of retirement in 2010, but this year seems to have a car fast enough to challenge the top drivers.
He was third fastest in qualifying at the Malaysian GP last month - his best qualifying performance since the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix.
"The car handled definitely much better than what we experienced the last three years here," Schumacher said after practice. "We're not yet there where we want to be, but we had a good race."
Mercedes' new rear wing design has been a source of contention among rival teams this season. Lotus filed a protest on Thursday arguing that the design broke the rules, but it was rejected by race stewards.
Red Bull has also questioned the wing design, despite it being deemed legal by Formula One officials.
Schumacher said after the practice session the controversy has been overblown.
"It is a good innovation and I think it should be honored by everybody," he said. "Although it gets overestimated the worth of it, but it's good."
Schumacher's teammate, Nico Rosberg, was fifth fastest in the afternoon session and was followed by McLaren's Jenson Button, Sauber's Kamui Kobayasi, Force India's Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg, and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.
The times were considerably faster in the afternoon compared to the morning practice, when a light mist created slippery conditions and most of the top teams stayed off the track until the final minutes.
Hamilton led the morning session.
The Mercedes driver's time was 1:35.973, a tenth of a second faster in the afternoon practice than McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, who took back-to-back poles to start the season at the Australian GP and Malaysian GP.
"They looked quite quick, particularly in the last session," Hamilton said of Schumacher. "I think the Red Bull is very very quick (as well)."
Red Bull teammates Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber had the third- and fourth-fastest times of the session.
Schumacher, a seven-time world champion, has yet to finish on the podium since coming out of retirement in 2010, but this year seems to have a car fast enough to challenge the top drivers.
He was third fastest in qualifying at the Malaysian GP last month - his best qualifying performance since the 2006 Japanese Grand Prix.
"The car handled definitely much better than what we experienced the last three years here," Schumacher said after practice. "We're not yet there where we want to be, but we had a good race."
Mercedes' new rear wing design has been a source of contention among rival teams this season. Lotus filed a protest on Thursday arguing that the design broke the rules, but it was rejected by race stewards.
Red Bull has also questioned the wing design, despite it being deemed legal by Formula One officials.
Schumacher said after the practice session the controversy has been overblown.
"It is a good innovation and I think it should be honored by everybody," he said. "Although it gets overestimated the worth of it, but it's good."
Schumacher's teammate, Nico Rosberg, was fifth fastest in the afternoon session and was followed by McLaren's Jenson Button, Sauber's Kamui Kobayasi, Force India's Paul di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg, and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso.
The times were considerably faster in the afternoon compared to the morning practice, when a light mist created slippery conditions and most of the top teams stayed off the track until the final minutes.
Hamilton led the morning session.
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