Vettel sets fastest time in Monza practice

German clocks in at 1:22.839 seconds to finish ahead of both the Ferraris of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.

MONZA: Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel claimed the fastest time for the second practice session ahead of the Italian Grand Prix on Sunday. The German clocked in 1:22.839 seconds to finish ahead of both the Ferraris of Fernando Alonso and Felipe Massa.

Fortunes changed for the McLaren duo Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button who came in at fourth and fifth places respectively.

Defending world champion Jenson Button set the pace in Friday morning’s opening free practice session for this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.

Britain’s Button enjoyed a close duel with McLaren teammate and compatriot Lewis Hamilton in warm sunshine at the Autodromo di Monza.

Button, 30, still hoping to mount a successful defence of his crown, wound up just 0.097 seconds ahead of nearest rival German Sebastian Vettel, another title contender, with Hamilton in third just two-tenths of a second adrift after a tight and interesting 90-minute session.

Button is currently 35 points behind current leader Hamilton in the title race and badly needs a strong result on Sunday to maintain his challenge. Spain’s two-time champion Fernando Alonso of Ferrari, on home soil for the Italian team, is in a similar position.

Button, Hamilton and Vettel all clocked fastest times during the morning as the track warmed up and fans trickled in to the old royal park for a contest that promises to be enthralling.

Pole Robert Kubica of Renault, German Nico Rosberg of Mercedes and Australian Mark Webber of Red Bull, currently a close second just three points behind Hamilton in the standings, were fourth, fifth and sixth respectively. Alonso was eighth behind Italian Vitantonio Liuzzi of the Force India team.

Ferrari have conceded that without a strong result this weekend, they will be left behind in the title race after Alonso fell 41 points behind Hamilton following his scoreless outing at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Overall, it was a dull morning’s running as few drivers did any laps in anger until half the session was over - and there were few incidents except for those of two Brazilians, Bruno Senna of Hispania and Rubens Barrichello of Williams.

The first suffered a brake fluid leak and stopped out on the track after only eight laps and the latter lost drive and parked his car on the exit of the Lesmo curve.after only eight laps and the latter lost drive and parked his car on the exit of the Lesmo curve.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 11^th, 2010.