Button sets pace

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- McLaren driver Jenson Button was fastest in first practice at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, edging Red Bull's Mark Webber.

The Briton clocked 1 minute, 40.263 seconds on the 5.5-kilometre (3.5-mile) Yas Marina circuit on Friday, making him 0.126 seconds quicker than the Australian Webber.

Button's teammate Lewis Hamilton was third while Formula One champion Sebastian Vettel settled for fourth.

Ferrari drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa, who finished fifth and sixth respectively, struggled during the session. Each spun at one point and Alonso also twice briefly left the track.

With Vettel already crowned champion, drivers this weekend are racing to finish second in the standings. Button holds the position with two races to go, 13 points ahead of Alonso and 19 ahead of Webber. Hamilton is 38 points back in fifth place.

Along with the Ferrari drivers, several others endured difficult sessions.

Williams driver Rubens Barrichello had his session ruined, when he stalled just minutes after it began and failed to record a time.

Renault driver Vitaly Petrov had his session interrupted by an exhaust fire on his car while Team Lotus driver Heikki Kovalainen spun out.

Dry conditions prevailed at the track, which is located outside the United Arab Emirates capital of Abu Dhabi.