Vettel in the driving seat

MCLAREN duo Jenson Button and Lewis Hamilton offered a grim assessment of their chances of overhauling Red Bull in China this weekend, admitting their main title rivals still enjoy a significant performance advantage.

Championship leader Sebastian Vettel led the way in both of yesterday’s practice sessions as the Red Bull man’s bid to make it three wins out of three at the start of 2011 got off to a predictably solid start.

Hamilton and Button finished second and third to the German in yesterday’s second 90-minute session at the Shanghai International Circuit, after a day spent evaluating the merits of new technical upgrades.