Williams' test driver Alexander Wurz set initial pace in the Formula One Chinese Grand Prix, leading the first free practice session at the Shanghai circuit here on Friday.

The Austrian put in 21 laps and recorded the best of one minute, 35.574 seconds to pip Honda's Britain test driver Anthony Davidson by 0.017 seconds.

The final minutes of the session saw a number of the race drivers take to the Shanghai circuit with Jenson Button setting the third fastest time in his Honda, albeit 1.7 seconds slower than the leading duo.

Michael Schumacher, who recently announced to retire from racing after this season, completed a short stint at the end of the session and was fourth fastest. But the other title contender Renault's champion Fernando Alonso chose to skip - normal procedure with engines having to last two races.

Alonso leads Schumacher only by two points with three races remaining.

Test driver Neel Jani set the fifth fastest time in his Toro Rosso Cosworth ahead of Alex Premat, who made his Formula One debut in China for MF1 Racing.

Honda's Rubens Barrichello was 12th after a quick run and Kimi Raikkonen made a big spin in the final second of the session on his one and only timed lap and was therefore just 18th and slowest in his McLaren Mercedes.