Button tops Turkish Grand Prix practice

ISTANBUL: Briton Jenson Button topped the times for McLaren in Friday’s second free practice session for Sunday’s Turkish Grand Prix.

The defending world champion proved his prowess at the Istanbul Park track, which he has said is one of his favourite circuits, with a best lap in one minute and 28.280 seconds to wind up fastest ahead of championship leader Mark Webber of Red Bull.

Button, who won last year’s race, was the second quickest in the morning’s opening free session behind his McLaren team-mate and fellow Briton Lewis Hamilton, the 2008 champion.

Webber was nearly one-tenth of a second slower than Button as he clocked the second best time ahead of his Red Bull team-mate German Sebastian Vettel.

But Webber’s satisfaction in a job well done in preparation for his bid to claim a hat-trick of successive victories soon turned to anger when he pulled up following an engine failure in the closing minutes, with his Renault power-unit billowing smoke from the rear of the car.

Published in the Express Tribune, May 29th, 2010.