Button quickest in Barcelona practices

BARCELONA - Agence France-Presse

Jenson Button had the best times after the second free practice in Barcelona. AFP photo

Briton Jenson Button topped the times for McLaren after the second free practise session for this weekend’s Spanish Grand Prix, the 2009 champion clocking a fastest lap time of one minute and 23.3 seconds.

Button’s lap was the fastest not only of the second session, but of the day after Spaniard Fernando Alonso had clocked the quickest time of the morning’s opening session in 1:24.430. Button was a tenth of a second quickest ahead of defending double world champion German Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull and his countryman Nico Rosberg driving for Mercedes.

Briton Lewis Hamilton, the 2008 champion and driving the second McLaren, was fourth fastest ahead of Finn Kimi Raikkonen, champion of 2007, and his Lotus team-mate Frenchman Romain Grosjean.

Australian Mark Webber was seventh-fastest in the second Red Bull ahead of seven-time champion German Michael Schumacher, 43, in the second Mercedes.