Button goes fastest in first practice session

Fan-favorite Michael Schumacher posted a credible 1:37:509 time to go fourth fastest around the track where he holds the lap record. He won at this track in 2006 when he drove for Ferrari.

Defending world champion Jenson Button was fastest around Shanghai  International Circuit after the first practice session this morning, with  McLaren team-mate Lewis Hamilton back in third.

There was bad news for 2006 world champion Fernando Alonso in the Ferrari. He suffered a blow-out almost an hour into the session and was unable to complete a competitive lap this session. It appears that he has now used up two of his allotted eight engines for the season.

Practice was further interrupted with ten minutes remaining when Toro Rosso driver Sebastien Buemi lost both front wheels after a front suspension problem. The red flag came out and the drivers departed to the pit lane for a ten-minute delay before emerging with just five minutes of the session remaining.

There will be a further practice session later today, then a final one tomorrow morning before the serious business of qualifying starts tomorrow afternoon.

The race begins at 2pm on Sunday.