MELBOURNE, March 16: Veteran Michael Schumacher on Friday upstaged Formula One’s princelings as he made a rare return to the top of the timings in rain-hit practice for the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Second free practice:1 Michael Schumacher (GER) Mercedes GP 1:29.183, 2 Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Force India 1:29.292, 3 Sergio Perez (MEX) Sauber 1:30.199, 4 Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari 1:30.341, 5 Kamui Kobayashi (JPN) Sauber 1:30.709, 6 Paul di Resta (GBR) Force India 1:31.466, 7 Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 1:31.505, 8 Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) Caterham 1:31.932, 9 Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes 1:32.184, 10 Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull 1:32.194, 11 Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull 1:32.296, 12. Timo Glock (GER) Marussia 1:32.632, 13 Vitaly Petrov (RUS) Caterham 1:32.767, 14 Romain Grosjean (FRA) Lotus 1:32.822, 15 Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren 1:33.039, 16 Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren 1:33.252, 17 Pastor Maldonado (VEN) Williams 1:34.108, 18 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Lotus 1:34.275, 19 Bruno Senna (BRA) Williams 1:34.312, 20 Jean-Eric Vergne (FRA) Toro Rosso 1:34.485, 21 Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Toro Rosso 1:34.604, 22 Charles Pic (FRA) Marussia 1:34.770, 23 Narain Karthikeyan (IND) Hispania 1:42.627, 24 Pedro de la Rosa (ESP) Hispania.

First free practice:1 Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren 1:27.560, 2 Lewis Hamilton (GBR) McLaren 1:27.805, 3 Michael Schumacher (GER) Mercedes 1:28.235, 4 Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari 1:28.360, 5 Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull 1:28.467, 6 Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes GP 1:28.683, 7 Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Toro Rosso 1:28.908, 8 Pastor Maldonado (VEN) Williams 1:29.415, 9 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Lotus 1:29.565, 10 Kamui Kobayashi (JPN) Sauber 1:29.722, 11 Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull 1:29.790, 12. Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Force India 1:29.865, 13 Paul di Resta (GBR) Force India 1:29.881, 14 Bruno Senna (BRA) Williams 1:29.953, 15 Sergio Perez (MEX) Sauber 1:30.124, 16 Romain Grosjean (FRA) Lotus 1:30.515, 17 Heikki Kovalainen (FIN) Caterham 1:30.586, 18 Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 1:30.743, 19 Jean-Eric Vergne (FRA) Toro Rosso 1:31.178, 20 Vitaly Petrov (RUS) Caterham 1:31.983, 21 Timo Glock (GER) Marussia 1:34.730, 22 Charles Pic (FRA) Marussia 1:40.256, 23 Narain Karthikeyan (IND) Hispania, 24 Pedro de la Rosa (ESP) Hispania.—AFP