Vettel back on top in Abu Dhabi practice

Newly crowned world champion continues to impress.

ABU DHABI: Sebastian Vettel shook off any last vestiges of a hangover yesterday afternoon when he clocked the fastest time ahead of his Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber in the second free practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

The newly crowned quadruple world champion, who is seeking to secure his seventh successive race victory, was third quickest in morning practice, but responded in style.

His fastest lap time of one minute and 41.335 seconds lifted him one-tenth of a second clear of Webber in a session run in cooling conditions and under dazzling floodlights at the ultra-modern Yas Marina Circuit.



The ambient temperature dropped by 14 degrees during the session after recordings of 35 degrees Celsius for the air and 46 for the track earlier in the day.

Briton Lewis Hamilton, who has always enjoyed and impressed at the Yas Marina, was third fastest for Mercedes ahead of Finn Kimi Raikkonen in the leading Lotus, German Nico Rosberg in the second Mercedes and Mexican Sergio Perez of McLaren.

Briton Jenson Button was seventh in the second McLaren ahead of two-time champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso of Ferrari and German Nico Hulkenberg of Sauber with Brazilian Felipe Massa 10th in the second Ferrari.

Grosjean on top of opening practice

In the morning session, Romain Grosjean topped the times for troubled Lotus.

The 27-year-old Frenchman delivered a late fastest lap of one minute and 44.241 seconds to outpace nearest rival Hamilton by 0.19 seconds. Vettel was third ahead of teammate Webber.

Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg was fifth fastest ahead of late arrival Kimi Raikkonen in the second Lotus, Briton Paul Di Resta of Force India and Jenson Button of McLaren.

Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado was ninth for Williams and Mexican Sergio Perez 10th in the second McLaren.

It was the first time this season that Grosjean or Lotus had topped the times in opening practice, but came after the team had been at the centre of a controversy on Thursday when Raikkonen failed to turn up at the track for his media commitments.

Raikkonen, who has made clear that he has not been paid his full salary by Lotus this year, was involved in a heated exchange of profanities with the team during last Sunday’s Indian Grand Prix. He will join Ferrari next season.

The Lotus team have not yet secured a replacement driver amid speculation that they need to sign a driver with a big sponsorship package.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 2^nd, 2013.

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