F1 rookie Daniel Ricciardo enjoys life in fast lane

FOR the 70,000-odd people in the gardens surrounding the Albert Park circuit yesterday, it was hard to imagine a more trying day.

Daniel Ricciardo

FOR the 70,000-odd people huddled in the rain-drenched gardens surrounding the Albert Park circuit yesterday, it was hard to imagine a more trying day.

 Yet for event organisers, it is also hard to imagine a better set of numbers to spruik from the day's twin practice sessions.

The four fastest laps belonged to four world champions, with Jenson Button, Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher and Fernando Alonso, in that order, setting the early pace for tomorrow's Australian Grand Prix.

Next came Mark Webber, the perennial local hope at his home grand prix. And less than half a second behind him came Daniel Ricciardo, a 22-year-old bloke from Perth driving Formula One for the first time at Albert Park.

For drivers such as Webber and Schumacher, wise with age and laps raced, it was a day to be patient and pick the right time to exit pit lane. Rain clouds rolled across the circuit dumping rain and demolishing pre-session plans for tyres and strategy.

For a driver like Ricciardo, it was a day that added to the professional respect he is fast gaining up and down the pit lane - and most importantly from his Toro Rosso employers - for having a calm head on still broadening shoulders.

Although his fastest lap time of 1:28.908 will need to be improved today in qualifying, putting a clear two seconds between yourself and your teammate and professional rival - in Ricciardo's case Frenchman Jean-Vergne - is a good day's work for any rookie.

Ricciardo now believes a starting spot closer to the start of the grid than the end is a realistic goal for today's qualifying session. Although this is his first race as a driver for Toro Rosso, the development team for Red Bull, he raced half of last season for the HRT team.

"All the hype this week and everything has made me feel like it is my first race again," Ricciardo said. "Obviously it is not, so I have got to get on with things.

"I think there is some time to be gained but the good news is I knew where it can be gained. On paper it doesn't look as good as what it can. This morning I think we found some positives. I think tomorrow we will be nice and far up the grid."

It was as strong a claim as anyone was prepared to make after two 90-minute practice sessions in changing conditions.

McLaren team principal Martin Whitmarsh, although happy to see Button and Hamilton record the faster lap times, said the results were an unreliable guide.

"After so many weeks of testing and talking, it's exciting finally to get the season under way," Whitmarsh said.

"As usual, Friday practice didn't provide the answers many people were seeking and, if anything, today's changeable conditions meant the time sheets probably threw up a few more questions than answers."

Webber was equally non-plussed. "In the end we got what we could out of it, but we still have some work to do. It was compromised running for everyone; I'm looking forward to coming back tomorrow."