Button: a hit with the birds

Button finished 18th in the practice. How do you think he will fare in this Sunday's Australian Grand Prix?

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The 20-year-old's Williams-BMW hit a bird during Friday practice for the opening round of the world championship in Melbourne on Sunday.

The collision comes just weeks after he was involved in a similar accident during testing in South Africa when a bird hit his helmet.

"It's the second time its happened now," he said. "I saw it coming towards me this time and I ducked which is a bit dangerous. It hit the wing mirror and fell into my lap. It was obviously dead.

"It was bit gory, my overalls were covered in blood again. I went on the radio and said I want to come back in because I've got a bird on my lap. They just laughed."

Button acquitted himself well on the track.

In a day when most of the leading drivers, including Michael Schumacher, were caught out on the dusty circuit he circled without a serious incident and wound up 18th -- just four-tenths slower than teammate Ralf Schumacher 16th.

"We did a lot of work today on learning the track and the set-ups and hopefully that will pay off in qualifying."

"Michael made one little mistake but even the best of us make them. I just tried to stay on the track as much as possible and build up the lap times.

"Michael is one of my heroes but when you are on the track with them you have just got to forget that and treat them like a normal competitor."