Vettel heads Hamilton in practice

By Sarah Holt
BBC Sport in Shanghai place: Shanghai date: 15-17 April start: 0800 BSTCoverage: practice on red button and online, 5 live sports extra (Saturday 0355-0505). Qualification live on BBC one, HD & 5 live sports extra (Saturday 0600-0830). Sunday: Race live on BBC one, HD, online and 5 live from 0700. highlights - Chinese GP of second PracticeSebastian Vettel's dominant lead you continue to like Red Bull world champion set the pace in practice for the Chinese Grand Prix.

McLaren were again his closest rivals such as Lewis Hamilton 0.166 seconds behind with team-mate Jenson Button third was both Mercedes driver before.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was 14 in the second practice session after a problem with the hydraulics on his car.

Scot Paul di Resta missed the second session with a fuel pressure problem.

It was a frustrating day for Renault's Nick Heidfeld, who crashed twice.

The field of formula 1 action returned only five days after 16 of the 24 cars on the line in Malaysia.

Executives at Ferrari, McLaren and Williams again their factories to the progress of their upgrades check.

Lewis Hamilton not comfortable with McLaren car

After a clean sweep in Australia and Malaysia Vettel, Red Bull boss Christian Horner and chief technical officer Adrian Newey but remained in Malaysia.

"It has been a good start for Sebastian," said Horner BBC Radio 5 live during the first practice. "We come to China from the back of these results and we will try and build on them."

Vettel showed no signs of momentum lose because he team-mate Mark Webber out-paced to top-the times in the morning session and afternoon followed a similar pattern.

Red spent the early part of the afternoon with a focus on tire performance on longer stays with Vettel, that its tyres began, degrade in just his eighth lap: Bull.

But there was no stopping Vettel fastest time of one minute 37 688secs if the German from the softer tyres dared set.

Vettel said: "we had a good day, but it's only Friday and so it is early in the race weekend."

"We found a good rhythm and we are happy with the car." "There is still much to do, and I believe that it will be closely involved in qualifying and race so we'll look where we can improve."

Webber finished the day 1. can 639secs behind his team-mate but was there any obvious problems for the Australian and the Red Bull team-mate have since different strategies.

"I don't think that we saw Vettel's potential true it," said 5 analyst Anthony Davidson life. "It was a dominant performance."

"Who is to say that McLaren and a second fuel on Board have?" "It is not over yet but all signs point to Red Bull".

McLaren came in Shanghai trying, the gap on the world champions and practice to try out you the new exhaust system and ground, who abandoned it used in Malaysia, as well as a new front wing.

Hamilton and button took round the pace set, before is of Red revised, in two sessions: Bull rivals.

In the morning was not without problems for the British pairing. There were two excursions and a lock in the pits for Hamilton, who had a problem brakes while button was hit by a kers.

McLaren team boss Martin Whitmarsh said it was too early to know whether the updates of the English team Claw one Red Bull a round back helped advantage over.

A convenient saw within 0 166secs of Vettel with button push 0 247secs close in the afternoon of Hamilton.

But Hamilton said, his was a "good feeling", that the new parts no improvement.

When asked whether McLaren closer to Red Bull pace were this weekend, button: "No, not at all." I don't think that we are at the moment. If we sort our balance, we will be closer.

"The car is still a good car to drive, but we improve not the balance of the car and we will examine why the changes, the we us the improvement type not."

Di Resta, 15 in the morning session was, could pressure not out in the afternoon due to a fuel, so that for the third race in a row the bulkheads only on a single spell of Friday in practice.

Heidfeld, who was third in Malaysia, had both his sessions cut short after he twice lost control of his Renault and ploughed into the barriers in bizarre similar circumstances.

Red bull's Sebastian Vettel after searching start after 'good rhythm'

"It just was a mistake," said sport Heidfeld BBC after the first incident.

Davidson, commented: "It is not a good day for Heidfeld." "He has the speed, but it is only this stupid mistake to make."

Vitaly Petrov had an easy day in the other Renault and finished 117secs 1. Vettel's leading switch-off time.

Ferrari brought a front wing and new front brake ducts from Maranello headquarters to Shanghai but Alonso warned that it another "difficult weekend" was expected.

The Spaniard was out paced the morning of his team-mate Felipe Massa and a hydraulic problem limited his execution in the afternoon.

Alonso said: "If the car is good, will be good in qualifying and the race will be even better, so it is what we have to do."

"We have some time in the car, some improvements, find and then qualifying and race pace come together."

"This is for us in the foreground." The car as soon as possible improve, get new parts each race and I hope they work well enough.

"We know some other teams bringing new parts as well, we need to bring something more than you."

Brazilian Massa ran the sixth fastest time - 0 819secs behind Vettel - run on a three round on the soft tyres.

Ferrari Technical Director Aldo Costa said: "we have a lot of aero test, not a lot of real run with Fernando, to test the new pieces." And with Felipe tyres.

"Of course we have to catch up, as we are back and people are home motivated, progress, and we as usual discussed programs and which parts can we bring development in the race."

"We are pushing to catch up and the performance that we like to come back."

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