Vettel again fastest in Indian GP practice

NEW DELHI (AFP) –

Defending world champion Sebastian Vettel topped the times again for Red Bull in Saturday morning’s final free practice session for this weekend’s Indian Grand Prix.

The 25-year-old German, fastest in both sessions on Friday, completed his set with another quick performance, but he was less dominant than expected on a day when Red Bull were split at the top of the time-sheets by Briton Jenson Button in a McLaren.

Australian Mark Webber was third in the other Red Bull, ahead of Briton Lewis Hamilton, in the second McLaren, and Finn Kimi Raikkonen of Lotus.

Championship challenger Spaniard Fernando Alonso was unable to improve on seventh in his final practice session for Ferrari.

On another dry and warm morning at the demanding Buddh International Circuit at Noida, to the southeast of Delhi, the Red Bull team were again the standard setters in the final preparatory session before qualifying.

But this time it was not so easy for Vettel and the top six were separated by only four-tenths of a second and both McLaren men looked threatening, notably on hard tyres in Hamilton’s case.

Brazilian Bruno Senna was also fast again his Williams as he took sixth place ahead of Alonso, with German Nico Hulkenberg eighth for Force India ahead of compatriot Michael Schumacher in the leading Mercedes and Frenchman Romain Grosjean in the second Lotus.

Fresh from signing his contract for another year at Ferrari, Brazilian Felipe Massa was down in 11th ahead of Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado in the second Williams.