Schumacher upbeat for qualifying

"Things went pretty well, apart from a bit of traffic stopping us from getting through 100% of our planned programme," said the Ferrari driver after finishing in sixth place in second practice in Melbourne.

"One variable was the wind, which occasionally made for unpredictable handling. On one lap, I ended up running a bit wide in a corner when a gust of wind pushed the car from behind, when I had no more room to brake.

"As for the tyres, it will be important to always ensure they are up to temperature. There are no other problems, partly because over the winter we ran in much colder conditions than this. Tomorrow, I hope to be a front runner and be able to start the race from as near to the lights as possible."

Schumacher, who played down his chances of victory in Australia prior to the weekend, finished around eight tenths behind pace-setter Anthony Davidson in the Honda.

The seven-time world champion was the third quickest racing driver, only behind Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button.

Schumacher's teammate Felipe Massa also enjoyed a productive day of work and was confident of a strong showing after posting the 10th fastest time today.

"It was a good day's work," he said. "We concentrated mainly on finding the best setup. My final time does not reflect my real performance level, because on my last run I had a lot of yellow flags in the final sector of track and I had to keep lifting off the throttle.

"I am satisfied, because the car is well balanced and we improved constantly throughout the day. I am confident for tomorrow and Sunday."