The defending world champion and current series leader clocked a best time of one minute 41.751 seconds to head the time-sheets above nearest rivals Britons Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button of McLaren. Vettel’s Red Bull teammate Australian Mark Webber was in fourth place.
Hamilton had been fastest in the earlier session in scorching hot conditions at the Yas Marina circuit but his best lap left him one-tenth of a second short of Vettel’s fastest lap in the second practice.
Fifth-placed Romain Grosjean of Lotus was ahead of teammate Kimi Raikkonen, while two-time champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari came in at seventh.
Teammate Brazilian Felipe Massa was eighth, Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado of Williams ninth and Mexican Sergio Perez 10th for Sauber in a session run in sweltering conditions.
Hamilton unfazed by
Mercedes’ poor form
Mercedes have failed to score a point in the three races since Lewis Hamilton made his decision to join them next season but the McLaren driver says their slump has only made him more determined.
Hamilton, who has been at McLaren all his F1 career, will replace Michael Schumacher at Mercedes with the 43-year-old German retiring after a comeback lasting three years.
“It makes me even more driven to help them score points,” said the 2008 world champion Hamilton.
“I’m very happy with the decision I made. It doesn’t impact on that. People do sometimes lose their way, even we have struggled in the past, and not scored points.”
Ferrari’s Schumacher has not scored in his last four races while Nico Rosberg has not been in the top 10 since Singapore, the race before Hamilton was announced as his future team mate.
By coincidence, Hamilton’s replacement at McLaren – Sauber’s Perez - has also been unable to score in his last three races.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 3rd, 2012.
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