Mark Webber Fastest In Shortened Final Practice Session At Canada
Mark Webber has ended a shortened third and final practice session fastest overall for Red Bull, in drying conditions around Montreal’s Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The Australian ace produced the time in the dying seconds of the session, and was followed by Adrian Sutil in 2nd and Lewis Hamilton in 3rd.
Once again the teams and drivers were greeted with damp weather conditions around the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve for the start of the third and final practice session, which was frustratingly delayed for 30 minutes due to repairs being carried out on the barriers at Turn 11. This was due to a heavy incident earlier in the day during the Ferrari Challenge support event, and required a lengthy delay as repairs were carried out.
Eventually it was confirmed that the session would begin at 10:30 local time, and would last only for 30 minutes. This led to a hectic final practice session, as the entire field instantly took to the track on both the intermediate and full wet tyres in a bid to finalize their preparations for the weekend ahead. The Caterham duo were the first to take to the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, with Giedo van der Garde in particular setting the initial benchmark with a 01:30.873. The times naturally tumbled drastically as the session progressed, with Esteban Gutierrez and then Sergio Perez rising to the top with the latter producing a 01:27.984.
Adrian Sutil then rose to the top for Force India, before former Canadian Grand Prix winner Jenson Button continued to lower the benchmark with an impressive 01:26.340. Esteban Gutierrez, Nico Hulkenberg and then Valtteri Bottas rose to the top, with the latter producing a 01:25.126 before team-mate Pastor Maldonado disposed of his rookie team-mate. However, Valtteri Bottas immediately bounced back with a 01:24.314.
Although the track conditions continued to improve, many drivers were unwilling to switch to Pirelli’s P Zero range of tyres as wet patches continued to linger around the circuit. Giedo van der Garde ran extensively wide at Turns 3 and 4, skipping across the grass and narrowly avoiding the tyre barriers. Nico Hulkenberg then rose to the top for Sauber, with the Hinwil-based outfit continuing to search for improvements after a disappointing day yesterday.
Felipe Massa and then Esteban Gutierrez rose to the top, before the entire field switched to Pirelli’s P Zero dry tyres for the final few minutes of the final practice session. Sergio Perez was the first man to do so on the medium tyres, however he soon switch to the super-soft compound as did the entire field. Felipe Massa produced the first fastest dry lap of the session for Ferrari with a 01:22.482, before Kimi Raikkonen, Pastor Maldonado and then Jenson Button continued to lower the benchmark on slick rubber with the latter producing a 01:20.520.
As the checkered flag emerged, the times continued to tumble drastically with Paul di Resta, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Adrian Sutil and then Mark Webber all rising to the top. However, it was the Australian sensation who eventually ended the session fastest overall for Red Bull, after producing a 01:17.895 in the dying seconds of the session. Although the session ended in drying conditions, uncertainty still surrounds the weather forecast for the all-important qualifying hour later in the afternoon.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m17.895s 7 2. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m18.248s + 0.353s 8 3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m18.732s + 0.837s 7 4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m18.977s + 1.082s 10 5. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m19.131s + 1.236s 6 6. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m19.457s + 1.562s 7 7. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m19.496s + 1.601s 6 8. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m19.750s + 1.855s 9 9. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m19.790s + 1.895s 9 10. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m20.316s + 2.421s 8 11. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m20.596s + 2.701s 9 12. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m21.035s + 3.140s 12 13. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m21.364s + 3.469s 7 14. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m21.652s + 3.757s 9 15. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m22.021s + 4.126s 14 16. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m22.720s + 4.825s 15 17. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m23.058s + 5.163s 7 18. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m23.132s + 5.237s 14 19. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m23.309s + 5.414s 8 20. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m23.620s + 5.725s 12 21. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m24.317s + 6.422s 12 22. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m26.195s + 8.300s 9
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Nico Rosberg Fastest In Incident-Filled Final Practice At Monaco
Nico Rosberg has once again managed to finish fastest after the third and final practice session, in what was an incident-filled final hour of practice ahead of qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix. The German was followed by the Lotus of Romain Grosjean, with Sebastian Vettel a close 3rd for Red Bull.
After a day without any Formula 1 action around the tight and twisty confines of the Monte-Carlo street circuit, the teams and drivers reconvened once again under glorious weather conditions around the Principality. However, dark clouds were looming the distance, with showers a strong possibility for qualifying. Nico Hulkenberg become the first driver to take to the track for Sauber, and was instantly followed by many others who were all eager to continue their preparations for the weekend ahead.
Although many drivers elected to pit after completing their first installation lap, Esteban Gutierrez was the only driver who continued circulating to eventually complete the first timed lap of the session with a 01:26.137. The Mexican ace continued to improve at the top, eventually working his way down to a 01:17.716. Jean-Eric Vergne soon ended the Mexican’s reign at the top, with the Frenchman producing a 01:17.664. The Toro Rosso driver then momentarily traded fastest times at the top with Nico Hulkenberg, before reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:15.791.
The Red Bull sensation managed to continue improving at the sharp-end of the order, working his way down to a 01:15.261 despite the Austrian outfit’s initial worries with regards to their one-lap pace ahead of qualifying. Romain Grosjean’s incident-filled weekend continued as the session wore on, with the Frenchman just lightly tapping the barrier at Turn 10 and damaging his left-rear tyre. Luckily the Lotus driver was able to continue back to the pits, despite the damage sustained.
As the session entered its closing stages, Felipe Massa crashed violently into the barriers at Turn 1, utterly destroying his Ferrari and causing a momentary red flag delay as the ever-efficient Monegasque marshals cleared the stricken machine. The Brazilian driver was luckily unscathed after the heavy impact, and was able to extract himself from his car moments after the incident. Only several minutes after the session had been resumed, Adrian Sutil became the next driver to slam into the barrier at Turn 3 after loosing the rear of his Force India.
Despite the rather heavy impact with the wall, the Monegasque marshals were able to clear the stricken Force India without requiring a red flag delay. Once the Force India had been cleared, many drivers up and down the order began opting for the super-soft tyres, enabling Romain Grosjean to rise to the top with an impressive 01:15.051. However, Grosjean’s time at the top was short-lived, as Nico Rosberg continued to impress many after producing a scintillating 01:14.378.
The German’s time atop the timing sheets remained unbeaten, largely thanks to Romain Grosjean who caused the third and final session to end under red flag conditions. Despite setting the 2nd fastest time overall in the session, the Frenchman’s incident-filled weekend simply failed to improve as he lost the rear of his Lotus heading into Turn 1 and tapped the barrier. Just prior to his incident, Romain Grosjean seemed to swerve towards the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton who was exiting the pit-lane, prompting several questions over his sudden change of direction.
With Nico Rosberg topping all three practice sessions throughout the weekend, many are beginning to strongly tip the German for pole position later today. With passing ever so difficult around the Principality, pole position for the Mercedes ace could well be translated into a victory come the race on Sunday. However, the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton will almost certainly be out to deny the German.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m14.378s 22 2. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m15.039s + 0.661s 13 3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m15.261s + 0.883s 17 4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m15.286s + 0.908s 17 5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m15.311s + 0.933s 20 6. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m15.380s + 1.002s 19 7. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m15.550s + 1.172s 20 8. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m15.594s + 1.216s 17 9. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m15.861s + 1.483s 15 10. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m15.926s + 1.548s 25 11. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m15.958s + 1.580s 23 12. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m15.976s + 1.598s 19 13. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m15.976s + 1.598s 21 14. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m16.060s + 1.682s 16 15. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m16.068s + 1.690s 12 16. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m16.105s + 1.727s 8 17. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m16.427s + 2.049s 26 18. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m16.933s + 2.555s 17 19. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m17.902s + 3.524s 20 20. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m18.102s + 3.724s 20 21. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m18.706s + 4.328s 22 22. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m19.228s + 4.850s 22
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Felipe Massa Ends Final Practice Marginally Ahead Of Kimi Raikkonen
Felipe Massa has continued his impressive start to his 2013 campaign after ending the third and final practice session just marginally ahead of the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen, in a dry practice session around Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. The duo were followed by the Red Bull of Mark Webber, with Romain Grosjean 4th.
The final practice session ahead of the all-important qualifying hour began in sunny weather conditions, despite dark clouds looming ominously in the distance. Paul di Resta and Daniel Ricciardo immediately got proceedings underway when the session became green, as they became the first drivers to take to Barcelona’s Circuit de Catalunya. Many more drivers followed, however the majority opted to complete installation laps before returning back to the pits.
However, the Mercedes and Caterham duo both elected to set early timed laps, with Nico Rosberg, Lewis Hamilton and then Charles Pic all rising to the top of the timing sheets for their respective teams with the latter setting a 01:25.635. Eventually further drivers elected to take to the Circuit de Catalunya to complete their first timed laps of the session, with Esteban Gutierrez setting the pace before reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:23.920.
As the third and final practice session progressed, the Lotus duo of Kimi Raikkonen and then Romain Grosjean rose to the top for the Enstone-based outfit, with the latter producing a 01:23.042. Local hero Fernando Alonso then gave his adoring masses an excuse to cheer, as the Ferrari man stormed to the top with a 01:23.006. Whereas Ferrari continued to look strong at the front, McLaren continued to struggle despite the new upgrades, as Sergio Perez crawled back to the pits after his new front-left brake duct broke.
As the third and final practice session entered its closing stages, Fernando Alonso and Nico Rosberg became the first drivers to elect for Pirelli’s medium tyre compound, with the Spaniard unsurprisingly smashing his previous best with a 01:22.254 on the softer rubber. The Mercedes duo slotted into 2nd and 3rd position respectively, with Lewis Hamilton just ahead of his German team-mate. Kimi Raikkonen managed to storm to the top of the timing sheets as he too opted for the medium tyre compound, with the 2007 World Champion producing a 01:21.907.
Throughout the closing minutes of the third practice session, all of the drivers except Jean-Eric Vergne opted to run Pirelli’s medium tyre compound. This saw many improved lap times up and down the order, however only Felipe Massa could thwart the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen with an impressive 01:21.901, only +0.006 seconds ahead of his former Ferrari team-mate. Mark Webber managed to progress into 3rd position for Red Bull, with reigning Champion Sebastian Vettel a distant 5th.
With all three practice sessions now over ahead of the all-important qualifying hour, the teams and drivers will now be frantically finalizing their preparations for the remainder of the weekend. As expected, both Ferrari, Lotus and Red Bull look impressively quick, however only one driver can start from the coveted pole position.
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Fernando Alonso Leads The Way After Final Practice At Bahrain
Fernando Alonso has ended the final practice session ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix fastest overall, ahead of the Red Bull duo of Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber. Both Ferrari, Red Bull and Lotus look exceptionally quick this weekend, and any one of the six drivers is more than capable is reaping the rewards come qualifying and the race.
After yesterday’s mixed conditions at the Bahrain International Circuit, the third and final practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix began in overcast weather conditions as the Marussia of Max Chilton and the Force India of Adrian Sutil became the first drivers to take to the track. As the various drivers completed their installation laps, Felipe Massa was informed that the GPS on his Ferrari was not working.
Despite many drivers completing the traditional installation laps at the beginning of the session, Sauber’s Esteban Gutierrez continued to complete the first timed lap of the session with a 01:42.573. The Mexican driver, who will incur a five-place grid penalty following on from his incident with Adrian Sutil last time out, proceeded to improve upon his time at the top with a 01:39.592. Eventually further drivers opted to return to the Bahrain International Circuit, as the Caterham duo of Giedo van der Garde and then Charles Pic rose to the top. The latter managed to improve upon his time over his team-mate, with Pic setting a 01:35.911.
As the final practice session wore on, more drivers began taking to the 5.412km circuit in a bid to finalize their preparations ahead of qualifying later in the day. Mark Webber managed to rise to the top for Red Bull with a 01:33.875, as Kimi Raikkonen slotted into 2nd position behind the Australian driver. After out-braking himself into Turn 1, Romain Grosjean began to shine in his Lotus as the Frenchman seemed to finally rediscover his form of last season as he stormed to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:33.762.
The former GP2 Champion continued to improve at the top of the timing sheets, in a weekend which could prove imperative for him to display decent pace in comparison to team-mate Kimi Raikkonen who has already secured a race victory this season. However, Grosjean’s reign at the top failed to last for long as the reigning World Champion of Sebastian Vettel finally asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:33.348 for Red Bull. The German driver won last season’s Bahrain Grand Prix, and will unquestionably be striving to do so again this season.
Fernando Alonso suffered a scare as the final practice session neared its conclusion, as the two-time Champion lost control of his Ferrari through Turn 2 and spun into the retaining gravel trap. Initially it seemed as though the Spaniard had beached his Ferrari, however he soon managed to return to the track and eventually to the pits. Lewis Hamilton, Nico Rosberg and Esteban Gutierrez became the first drivers to opt for Pirelli’s medium tyre compound as the session wore on, before Fernando Alonso did likewise and stormed to the top with a 01:33.247.
Max Chilton’s morning preparations were brought to a premature conclusion, as the Briton’s MR-02 machine suffered a KERS cooling issue. Fernando Alonso’s benchmark at the front remained unbeaten as the checkered flag emerged signaling the end of the session, with Sebastian Vettel running exceedingly wide at Turn 13 after bumping along the kerbs. Lewis Hamilton also had an eventful end to the final practice session, after his left-rear suspension collapsed on his in-lap. Luckily the Briton was able to maintain control his car, however his mechanics will now begin working upon the car to prepare it for qualifying.
Lotus, Ferrari and Red Bull still look like the most likely teams to secure pole later today, with Kimi Raikkonen, Fernando Alonso and Sebastian Vettel the three drivers in particular who look to be at one with their respective machines. However, qualifying can always spark surprises, especially with the current Pirelli tyres.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap Laps 1. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m33.247s 12 2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m33.348s + 0.101s 15 3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m33.380s + 0.133s 19 4. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m33.446s + 0.199s 21 5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m33.455s + 0.208s 19 6. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m33.464s + 0.217s 19 7. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m33.596s + 0.349s 17 8. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m33.700s + 0.453s 15 9. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m33.764s + 0.517s 19 10. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m33.922s + 0.675s 17 11. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m33.949s + 0.702s 20 12. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m34.117s + 0.870s 17 13. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m34.282s + 1.035s 18 14. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m34.577s + 1.330s 16 15. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m34.611s + 1.364s 17 16. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m34.678s + 1.431s 16 17. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m34.833s + 1.586s 17 18. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m35.816s + 2.569s 16 19. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m36.731s + 3.484s 17 20. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m36.939s + 3.692s 16 21. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m37.630s + 4.383s 7 22. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m39.592s + 6.345s 28
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Sebastian Vettel Fastest After Final Practice At Malaysia
Reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel has ended the final practice session for the Malaysian Grand Prix fastest overall, ahead of the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton. Adrian Sutil impressed many to finish 3rd, as Force India continue to thwart their rivals. The tyres once again were the major factor of the session, which remained dry.
The third and final practice session of the weekend began in scorching weather conditions, as Jules Bianchi became the first of many drivers to instantly take to the track once the session began. Despite the majority of the field only completing one installation lap, Mark Webber was one of the few who decided to continue circulating early on as the Australian driver set the first timed lap of the day with a 01:44.486. However, with Red Bull carrying out their belated race simulation work, that time was instantly thwarted by the Caterham duo.
With the Malaysian Grand Prix an extremely important race for Caterham, it was unsurprising to see the duo of Charles Pic and Giedo van der Garde trade fastest times at the top of the timing sheets early on. Giedo van der Garde finally worked his way down to a 01:40.900, before the Lotus of Kimi Raikkonen stormed to the top with a 01:38.474. Nico Rosberg was quick to displace the 2007 World Champion at the top, before the Force India of Adrian Sutil continued his impressive return to the sport with 01:37.933 to rise to the top.
The Marussia duo of Max Chilton and Jules Bianchi became the first two drivers to switch to the medium tyre compound, as Lewis Hamilton asserted his authority over proceedings with a 01:37.527. Nico Rosberg returned to the top as the session progressed with a 01:36.949, as Jenson Button slotted into 2nd position for McLaren. Lewis Hamilton was quick to return to the top for Mercedes, however, as the teams and drivers continued their preparations for the all-important qualifying hour.
As the session entered its closing stages, many drivers returned to the Sepang International Circuit to complete their final runs of the session. Sebastian Vettel managed to rise to the top for Red Bull with a 01:36.435, however uncertainty still surrounded the Pirelli tyres ahead of the qualifying session. Sergio Perez utterly destroyed his front tyres after an almighty lock-up during the final minutes, as McLaren continued to struggle within the midfield.
With Pirelli’s hard and medium tyre compounds still keeping everyone guessing within the Formula 1 paddock, many are still unsure who will reap the rewards during the all-important qualifying hour later in the day. Rain still remains a threat at the Sepang International Circuit, as the drivers and teams now crunch the numbers prior to qualifying.
Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m36.435 20 2. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1m36.568s + 0.133s 17 3. Adrian Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1m36.588s + 0.153s 19 4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m36.613s + 0.178s 20 5. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m36.806s + 0.371s 19 6. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m36.807s + 0.372s 18 7. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m36.822s + 0.387s 16 8. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m36.946s + 0.511s 14 9. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m36.949s + 0.514s 24 10. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m37.302s + 0.867s 14 11. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m37.359s + 0.924s 11 12. Sergio Perez McLaren-Mercedes 1m37.538s + 1.103s 12 13. Nico Hulkenberg Sauber-Ferrari 1m37.6$5s + 1.250s 23 14. Romain Grosjean Lotus Renault 1m37.690s + 1.255s 14 15. Valtteri Bottas Williams-Renault 1m37.936s + 1.501s 16 16. Esteban Gutierrez Sauber-Ferrari 1m38.294s + 1.859s 17 17. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m38.376s + 1.941s 16 18. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m38.425s + 1.990s 15 19. Charles Pic Caterham-Renault 1m38.995s + 2.560s 18 20. Jules Bianchi Marussia-Cosworth 1m39.717s + 3.282s 21 21. Giedo van der Garde Caterham-Renault 1m40.209s + 3.774s 18 22. Max Chilton Marussia-Cosworth 1m40.495s + 4.060s 18
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Jenson Button Fastest In Overcast Final Practice At Brazil
Jenson Button has ended the final practice session of the season fastest overall, ahead of Championship leader Sebastian Vettel and the German’s team-mate Mark Webber. The leading trio were followed by Lewis Hamilton and Romain Grosjean, with Fernando Alonso only managing 8th fastest for Ferrari.
In stark contrast to Friday’s glorious sunshine, Saturday dawned with much lower temperatures and overcast weather conditions. With rain a threat for the race on Sunday, and possibly even qualifying later in the day, the majority of the drivers instantly took to the Interlagos circuit once the session began. Heikki Kovalainen led out a long queue of drivers, with track temperature down 14 degrees from yesterday. This drop in track temperature meant the drivers were eager to return to the circuit.
Although the majority of the drivers initially completed installation laps, the Mercedes duo of Michael Schumacher and Nico Rosberg went straight out and completed timed laps, with the latter setting the initial pace with a 01:20.153. The duo traded fastest times throughout the early stage of the session, before Kimi Raikkonen suffered his first technical glitch of the season as his Renault engine expired down the back straight in a great plume of white smoke.
This greatly compromised the Finn’s preparations for qualifying, as the McLarens of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button rose to the top with the latter setting a 01:14.419. McLaren have looked in command all weekend, and remained the dominant Constructor as the session progressed as the duo continued to battle for supremacy at the top. Eventually Jenson Button set a 01:13.858, as Sebastian Vettel slotted into 2nd position.
As the session progressed, it was confirmed by Lotus that Kimi Raikkonen’s machine had suffered a loss of oil pressure, which resulted in the Finn’s spectacular engine failure. As Raikkonen sat mournfully at the side of the track, Michael Schumacher became the first driver to opt for the medium tyre compound, however the German’s initial run of the tyre was severely compromised as Bruno Senna spun at the final corner and nearly collected the Mercedes of Schumacher.
Nico Hulkenberg stormed to the top of the timing sheets with a 01:13.623, as the Force India driver reaped the benefits of the medium tyre compound. However, his reign at the top was short-lived as team-mate Paul di Resta momentarily rose to the top before Jenson Button reasserted his authority over proceedings with a superlative 01:13.192, which the Briton was able to marginally improve upon with a 01:13.188. Lewis Hamilton was unable to match his team-mates pace, as Sebastian Vettel slotted back into 2nd position for Red Bull.
With dark clouds looming ominously overhead, the afternoon’s qualifying session could well be plagued with inclement weather conditions. McLaren look the dominant team after the opening three practice sessions, however Red Bull are never too far behind as this thrilling Championship nears its conclusion. Fernando Alonso could only manage 8th, as he strives to catch Sebastian Vettel in the Drivers’ Championship. With rain forecast for the race on Sunday, this afternoon’s qualifying session will unquestionably be the most intense of the season.
Pos Driver Team Time Laps 1. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m13.188s 22 2. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m13.245s + 0.057 21 3. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m13.385s + 0.197 25 4. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m13.389s + 0.201 17 5. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m13.420s + 0.232 24 6. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m13.486s + 0.298 21 7. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m13.602s + 0.414 22 8. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m13.691s + 0.503 15 9. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m13.700s + 0.512 20 10. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m13.712s + 0.524 17 11. Bruno Senna Williams-Renault 1m13.948s + 0.760 20 12. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m14.126s + 0.938 25 13. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m14.190s + 1.002 26 14. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m14.192s + 1.004 21 15. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m14.347s + 1.159 24 16. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m14.687s + 1.499 21 17. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m14.972s + 1.784 19 18. Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault 1m15.159s + 1.971 22 19. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 1m15.707s + 2.519 21 20. Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth 1m15.763s + 2.575 23 21. Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth 1m16.059s + 2.871 21 22. Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 1m16.198s + 3.010 15 23. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m16.793s + 3.605 18 24. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault no time 3
Picture Copyright © McLaren F1 Team
No Further Action On Sergio Perez And Charles Pic Practice Incident
The race stewards have confirmed that there will be no further action against either Sergio Perez or Charles Pic after their coming together during the final practice session of the weekend earlier today. The Mexican driver has already incurred a reprimand for blocking Timo Glock this weekend, and was lucky to escape without a penalty.
As Sergio Perez caught Charles Pic during the final practice session of the weekend, the Mexican driver tried an overtake on the rookie which resulted in contact between the two. Although the incident was not major, Perez picked up front wing damage on his Sauber and Pic received minor floor damage which momentarily impeded his progress throughout the session.
Immediately after the incident, there was mixed emotions throughout the paddock as to who was in the wrong, however the stewards have decided that no driver was in the wrong and that a penalty will not be forthcoming to either Sergio Perez or Charles Pic. It is expected that drivers could find themselves in a similar position during qualifying through Turns 3, 4, 5 and 6. Due to the high speeds through this section of the circuit, the closing speeds between the various cars is increased.
Since being signed at McLaren, Sergio Perez has failed to score a single World Championship point, and has recently come under the spotlight largely due to his questionable driving. With Perez regarding this race as his home Grand Prix, he will unarguably be striving to succeed throughout qualifying and the race.
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Romain Grosjean Struck With Five-Place Grid Penalty
Romain Grosjean has incurred a five-place grid penalty for tomorrow’s United States Grand Prix, after a gearbox issue was discovered on the Frenchman’s Lotus towards the end of practice three earlier today. This is the second time in which Grosjean has incurred a gearbox-related penalty, after the German Grand Prix back in July.
As the third and final practice session drew to a conclusion around the Circuit of the Americas, Romain Grosjean lost fourth gear on his Renault-powered Lotus E21, which in turn forced his mechanics to change the gearbox ahead of the all-important qualifying hour at Austin. This will see the Frenchman drop down the order after qualifying, and means he will be unable to qualify any higher than 6th.
Romain Grosjean failed to finish the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix last time out, and is still unconfirmed at Lotus for next season. The Frenchman will therefore be striving to impress throughout the final two races, without causing any further opening lap incidences such as Japan or Belgium.
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Sebastian Vettel Remains Dominant In Austin After Practice Three
Sebastian Vettel has ended the final practice session of the weekend fastest once again, as the teams and drivers prepare for qualifying later in the day. Once again grip levels were non-existent to begin with, as Lewis Hamilton and Pastor Maldonado followed the reigning Champion home in 2nd and 3rd respectively.
With the weather conditions similar to Friday, Kamui Kobayashi was the first driver to take to the Circuit of the Americas as the third and final practice session got underway at Austin. The Japanese driver was followed out immediately by team-mate Sergio Perez, however the majority of the paddock decided to initially complete installation laps. Kimi Raikkonen was the first driver to set a timed lap for Lotus, with the ‘Iceman’ setting a 01:49.107.
This time was almost instantly thwarted by the Toro Rosso of Jean-Eric Vergne, who gradually improved in the early stages of the session with a 01:43.593. However, the Frenchman’s reign at the top was ended by the Mercedes duo of Nico Rosberg and Michael Schumacher, with the latter setting a 01:42.396 to go fastest. Vergne momentarily returned to the top as several more drivers left the confines of the pits, before Rosberg and Schumacher once again rose to the top, with Rosberg managing a 01:38.221.
Sergio Perez and Charles Pic made contact through Turn 7, with the Mexican driver tapping the Frenchman’s Marussia into a spin whilst trying to overtake him. The two drivers were able to continue, however Charles Pic returned to the pits to allow the team to check the car. Jenson Button then set the pace at top with a 01:37.973, which the 2009 World Champion was able to improve upon as the session entered its halfway mark. Whilst Jenson Button and McLaren continued to improve out on track, the Ferrari duo remained in the pits completing practice pit-stops.
As Lewis Hamilton shot to the top with a 01:37.492, Ferrari’s plan of waiting for the track conditions to improve failed to pay off, as Jean-Eric Vergne peeled off of the track with suspension issues and caused a lengthy yellow period throughout the first sector. This prevented anyone from improving throughout the lap, and angered Felipe Massa as he vented his frustration over the team radio.
Romain Grosjean’s preparations for qualifying were dealt a rather cruel blow after a suspected gearbox issue was discovered on the Frenchman’s Lotus, preventing him from returning to the track to complete a qualifying run on the medium tyres. Whilst Grosjean’s morning was brought to a premature conclusion, Sebastian Vettel once rose to the top, setting another scintillatingly quick time with a 01:36.490. This time failed to be beaten as the session drew to a conclusion, with Lewis Hamilton and Pastor Maldonado finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively.
With all three practice sessions now over, the drivers will now be preparing for the all-important qualifying session later in the day. Sebastian Vettel has topped all three practice sessions, and is looking the favorite to once again clinch pole position for Red Bull.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap Laps 1. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m36.490s 18 2. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m36.748s + 0.258s 20 3. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m37.001s + 0.511s 21 4. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m37.180s + 0.690s 21 5. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m37.247s + 0.757s 24 6. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m37.262s + 0.772s 27 7. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m37.298s + 0.808s 18 8. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m37.415s + 0.925s 20 9. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m37.495s + 1.005s 20 10. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m37.538s + 1.048s 20 11. Bruno Senna Williams-Renault 1m37.569s + 1.079s 21 12. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m37.760s + 1.270s 21 13. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m37.765s + 1.275s 26 14. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m37.953s + 1.463s 23 15. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m38.547s + 2.057s 23 16. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m38.653s + 2.163s 22 17. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m38.753s + 2.263s 11 18. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m39.689s + 3.199s 12 19. Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth 1m40.407s + 3.917s 23 20. Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault 1m40.753s + 4.263s 19 21. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 1m41.011s + 4.521s 19 22. Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth 1m41.466s + 4.976s 19 23. Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 1m43.563s + 7.073s 21 24. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m44.043s + 7.553s 23
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Hamilton Reigns Supreme During Final Practice At Abu Dhabi
Lewis Hamilton has continued McLaren’s competitive start to the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, by ending the third and final practice session fastest ahead of team-mate Jenson Button. The British duo were followed by reigning World Champion Sebastian Vettel, who suffered from brake issues during the session.
With only one practice session remaining for the teams and drivers to prepare for the all-important qualifying session, the drivers instantly took to the Yas Marina circuit as soon as the session began. Once again, the track was bathed in glorious sunshine, as Sergio Perez led out the queue of cars in his Sauber. However, the majority of the drivers only completed installation laps, before returning to the pits.
Eventually, Kamui Kobayashi set the initial pace with a 01:49.193, indicating that the Japanese driver was running with heavy fuel loads. Kobayashi was able to improve the next time around, with a 01:45.628. Kimi Raikkonen quickly shot to the top, before the McLaren of Lewis Hamilton went fastest with a 01:44.264. Although Pastor Maldonado momentarily went fastest, the Briton soon reasserted his authority over proceedings by setting a time one whole second quicker than the Williams driver.
Lewis Hamilton continued to reign supreme at the top of the timing sheets, with the 2008 World Champion steadily improving his advantage to the rest of the field, eventually setting a 01:42.148. Jenson Button slotted into 2nd position, as the McLaren duo once again looked impressive at the front. Romain Grosjean and Bruno Senna became the first two drivers to opt for the soft Pirelli tyre compound, as Sebastian Vettel remained stuck in the pit lane.
As the session progressed, Sebastian Vettel’s mechanics busied themselves around the German’s Red Bull RB8, working tirelessly on the brakes. Eventually it was confirmed that the reigning World Champion was suffering from a brake-caliper issue, which the ever-efficient Red Bull mechanics were able to fix as the session entered it’s closing quarter. With no time yet to be set during the session, the Milton Keynes-based outfit remained hopeful of seeing the German finally take to the track before the session ended.
Eventually the Championship leader took to the track with only several minutes remaining in the session, with his earlier brake issues now corrected on his RB8 machine. Whilst Vettel prepared for his first flying lap of the session, Lewis Hamilton once again marginally improved at the front with a 01:42.130. After aborting his first flying lap, Sebastian Vettel finally set a competitive time in the dying seconds, as the German went 3rd with a relatively impressive 01:42.614.
However, the McLaren duo of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button remained fastest at the front as the session came to an end, with the reigning World Champion just pipping his team-mate for 3rd. Ferrari were once again woefully off the pace down in 8th and 11th, despite numerous upgrades to their car. With all three practice sessions now over for the weekend, the teams and drivers will now be preparing for the all-important qualifying hour later in the day, which will determine the starting grid for Sunday’s 55-lap Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Pos Driver Team/Car Time Gap Laps 1. Lewis Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1m42.130s 18 2. Jenson Button McLaren-Mercedes 1m42.420s + 0.290s 17 3. Sebastian Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1m42.614s + 0.484s 7 4. Mark Webber Red Bull-Renault 1m42.743s + 0.613s 18 5. Nico Hulkenberg Force India-Mercedes 1m42.750s + 0.620s 19 6. Romain Grosjean Lotus-Renault 1m43.015s + 0.885s 18 7. Pastor Maldonado Williams-Renault 1m43.064s + 0.934s 19 8. Fernando Alonso Ferrari 1m43.133s + 1.003s 15 9. Kimi Raikkonen Lotus-Renault 1m43.184s + 1.054s 22 10. Paul di Resta Force India-Mercedes 1m43.338s + 1.208s 19 11. Felipe Massa Ferrari 1m43.480s + 1.350s 17 12. Sergio Perez Sauber-Ferrari 1m43.571s + 1.441s 20 13. Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1m43.593s + 1.463s 20 14. Michael Schumacher Mercedes 1m43.635s + 1.505s 19 15. Kamui Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1m44.010s + 1.880s 22 16. Jean-Eric Vergne Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m44.025s + 1.895s 18 17. Bruno Senna Williams-Renault 1m44.071s + 1.941s 19 18. Daniel Ricciardo Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1m44.149s + 2.019s 19 19. Heikki Kovalainen Caterham-Renault 1m45.301s + 3.171s 22 20. Timo Glock Marussia-Cosworth 1m45.879s + 3.749s 19 21. Charles Pic Marussia-Cosworth 1m46.036s + 3.906s 19 22. Vitaly Petrov Caterham-Renault 1m46.261s + 4.131s 22 23. Pedro de la Rosa HRT-Cosworth 1m46.554s + 4.424s 20 24. Narain Karthikeyan HRT-Cosworth 1m47.032s + 4.902s 22
Picture Copyright © McLaren F1 Team
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