Free practice for this weekend's European Grand Prix got underway at the Nürburgring today where Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello ended the day in eighth and 14th positions respectively.

The weather conditions varied from session to session. It remained dry and warm for this morning's running but the dark clouds which had gathered by mid-day gave rise to a brief downpour ahead of the afternoon session. This washed away the rubber laid down this morning and a freshly 'green' track made the task of finding a good balance rather more of a challenge.

Jenson and Rubens ended the opening session in eighth and 10th places respectively, having completed a total of 53 laps. In session two they closed the gap to the top of the time sheets and added another 62 laps to the total for the day.

Jenson Button: "Today's running was always going to be difficult because of the weather. The rain after the first session left the track slightly damp for the start of the second. With the programme that we had, the work we did was positive and our long-run pace was reasonable. There is still a lot of work to do on our long-runs but the car worked well on both tyres and then on new tyres at the end. To get a good lap round here you need a very good set-up and today is not a bad start. We're moving in the right direction."

Rubens Barrichello: "We made some big changes for the afternoon session and I was not very happy with the car as a result. They didn't translate in the way that we hoped. The track was very different as well this afternoon after the rain and it was quite windy out there. We have learned some important things for the rest of the weekend though."

Jacky Eeckelaert, Engineering Director: "The rain between the two sessions reduced somewhat the time available on a dry track in the second session. Jenson was able to find a good balance on both medium and soft tyres whereas Rubens is still not happy with the car balance, so we have some work to do in order to give him the car he needs for tomorrow."

To check out our Nurburgring practice gallery, click here