Nurburgring (Germany): Michael Schumacher is fast forming a worthy rivalry to world champion Fernando Alonso.
Winner from the pole in the previous Formula One race at Imola, Schumacher followed his first competitive victory since 2004 by again doing well in Friday's free practice for the European Grand Prix.
He and Alonso posted the top two times.
Schumacher clocked 1 minute, 32.858 seconds in completing just four laps in the morning, when he came fourth behind three test drivers.
Alonso had the top time of the race drivers in the afternoon with 1:33.579, second to McLaren test driver Alexander Wurz. Schumacher was third, 0.04 seconds behind Alonso.
Wurz had the top time in both sessions, with 1:32.079 in the first and 1:32.675 in the second.
Anthony Davidson of Honda with 1:32.399, and BMW-Sauber's Robert Kubica in 1:32.852 were ahead of Schumacher in the early session.
Wurz, Davidson and Kubica did a lot of laps to test their teams' cars but will not race on Sunday.
Alonso of Renault, who wrested the world title from Schumacher last season, sat out the morning practice.
Schumacher showed he was preparing for a return to the podium at Nuerburgring, one of his favorite circuits. He has won here four times, and won the European GP when it was in Spain.
The seven-time F1 champion has had his ups and downs this season, but has been brilliant in the last two races. In his Ferrari, he led practice, qualifying, and won the San Marino GP two weeks ago, holding off Alonso over the last half of the race.
Last season, Schumacher struggled while Alonso became the youngest driver to win the F1 title.
Schumacher and Ferrari worked hard to change that this season. Schumacher started with a pole position and a second-place finish. His San Marino victory was his first real win in nearly 18 months, setting aside his tainted triumph at last year's United States GP where he beat a field depleted by a tire dispute.
In between, Schumacher had problems with engines and tires that made some people think Ferrari was heading backwards.
McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen was eighth in the first practice with 1:34.402, also doing a minimum of laps. In the afternoon he timed 1:34.536 for 13th.
At last year's European GP, Raikkonen was leading comfortably when he skidded out on the final lap after a tire failure. Alonso won.
Franck Montagny of France, who replaced Yuji Ide for the Super Aguri team, was the slowest driver to complete a lap in both sessions. Ide was removed at the request of the sport's governing body, FIA, because it felt he needed more experience after a series of incidents and slow laps.
Alonso, with two firsts and two seconds, leads the standings with 36 points. Schumacher has 21.
The drivers have another practice on Saturday morning, then qualifying in the afternoon. Sunday's race is over 60 laps.
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