BUDAPEST, Aug 13: McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen upstaged world champion Michael Schumacher with the fastest time in Friday's free practice for the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Finn Raikkonen, last year's championship runner-up, underlined the improving competitiveness of McLaren after their nightmare start to the season in clocking one minute 20.884 seconds, more than eight-tenths of a second quicker than last year's pole set by Renault's Fernando Alonso.

Six-time champion Schumacher had been quickest in the first session and spent the majority of the second hour of practice on top before Raikkonen toppled the German in the final 10 minutes and finished 0.125 seconds ahead of the Ferrari driver.

Schumacher will score a record 12th win of the season if he is successful in Sunday's race, while victory would be enough to hand Ferrari a sixth consecutive constructors' championship.

Ferrari have a 99-point advantage over second place Renault. Colombian Juan Pablo Montoya, who narrowly avoided contact with the tyre barriers in a spin in the first session, was third fastest behind Raikkonen and Schumacher in the afternoon.

Briton David Coulthard completed a positive day for McLaren with the fourth best time ahead of Toyota's Olivier Panis. Briton Jenson Button, who has endured a week of controversy following the announcement he will switch from BAR to Williams next season, was only the 10th and eighth quickest in the respective sessions.

Last year's winner Alonso of Spain also failed to find his rhythm with 11th and 10th in the two sessions. Jaguar's Australian Mark Webber was 11th fastest in the afternoon after failing to set a lap time in the morning, while Austrian team mate Christian Klien had a difficult day that included spinning into the gravel trap.

Brazilian Ricardo Zonta could only post the 18th best time in the afternoon on his return to Formula One with Toyota, having replaced under-performing compatriot Cristiano Da Matta.

Italian Gianmaria Bruni spun into the gravel after only six minutes of the second practice, while his Minardi team mate Zsolt Baumgartner, in his home race, had technical problems in the first session. -Reuters