MICK Schumacher topped the opening day of practice for the MRF Challenge 2016/2017 season-opener by setting the fastest time in practice two at BIC yesterday.
The German, who is the son of Formula 1 legend Michael Schumacher, clocked a best lap of two minutes 00.467 seconds to go one-tenth faster than Australian Joey Mawson.
Earlier in the day, Estonian driver Ralf Aron clocked the fastest time in practice one, finishing ahead of Schumacher and Briton Harrison Newey, who is the son of Formula 1 design guru Adrian Newey.
In the opening session, it was Newey who first went fastest as the other drivers spent time familiarising themselves with the circuit.
Halfway through the session, Newey led with a 2:02.449 ahead of Mawson and Schumacher.
The next 10 minutes saw Newey and Schumacher exchange fastest laps with the latter setting a time of 2:01.370. Newey went one tenth faster with a 2:01.263 as the session was coming to an end only to be pipped by Italian F4 champion Ralf Aron on the last timed lap, who did a 2:01.144. Juri Vips and Kimi Schramm completed the top five.
Free practice two saw Mawson wasting no time in getting up to speed and went fastest with a 2:01.783.
Behind him, Newey and Aron also went fast but were a couple-of-tenths off the pace. Schumacher then posted a 2:00.783, before going even faster to set his pole-clinching time.
Completed
Mawson went second with a 2:00.566 with Aron was third with a 2:00.889. Rinus van Kalmthout and Manuel Maldonado completed the top five.
“It is my first time driving here so I spent the first few laps familiarising myself with the circuit, which I really enjoyed driving at,” said Schumacher.
“The car is a step forward from last year’s car and I felt comfortable straight away. I was happy with how today went but now it is time to focus on qualifying and the race tomorrow.”
All drivers were driving the updated MRF 2000 cars, which feature a new updated Mountune Engine amongst aerodynamic changes. T
he time set by Schumacher was a full three seconds faster than the time set by Alessio Picariello in qualifying for the event last year.
The drivers were happy with the updated car and feel there is lot for potential yet to be unlocked by India’s fastest single-seater race car.
Qualifying will take place today along with the first two of four races this weekend.