Lewis Hamilton aimed to end Red Bull's run of pole positions after leading Jenson Button to a McLaren one-two in South Korea Friday in practice for his team's 700th Formula One race. The 2008 world champion, who has been questioning his performances after five straight races without a podium finish, lapped a wet Yeongam circuit with a best time of one minute 50.828 seconds in the afternoon. Red Bull, which has already won the drivers' title for the second year running with 24-year-old German Sebastian Vettel, has started every race this season on pole position. Hamilton, who has not taken the top slot for more than a year, hoped to end that Saturday. “It would be great to get the pole here tomorrow,” he told reporters. “On a Friday we don't know what they are doing so today doesn't mean anything. But I think we are quick. I think our car was good. “Jenson showed in the last race that we can be very, very competitive, so I have no doubt that we will be out to challenge them.” Button, winner of the previous race in Japan and chasing his sixth successive appearance on the podium, was 0.104 slower in the second 90-minute session and struggled to get heat into his car's front tires. The 2009 champion, whose style is notably smoother than his more aggressively steering teammate, said there was a lot more work to do. Mercedes Michael Schumacher lived up to his fame as a master of wet conditions with the fastest time of 2:02.784 in the opening session. “Today was one of those Fridays where most of what you do is race preparation, knowing that the conditions will probably be totally different when it comes to Sunday,” said the seven-time champion. Vettel, back on track for the first time since he became Formula One's youngest double champion in Japan, was second and third respectively in the sessions. Young French test driver Jean-Eric Vergne took part in practice with Toro Rosso while Indians Narain Karthikeyan and Karun Chandhok, both hoping to race in their home grand prix this month, turned out for HRTRT and Team Lotus respectively.
