Webber, Hamilton top practice sessions

Formula One world championship leader Mark Webber tops times in second practice for Korean Grand Prix.

YEONGAM: Formula One world championship leader Mark Webber topped the times in second practice for the Korean Grand Prix as the Red Bull driver set a best time of one minute and 37.942 seconds.

Fernando Alonso, second to Webber in the championship, was 0.190 seconds adrift of the Australian to come second for Ferrari while McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton, Renualt’s Polish Robert Kubica and Jenson Button rounded out the top five.

Webber’s Red Bull teammate Sebastian Vettel, third in the championship level on points with Alonso, was seventh, 1.2 seconds behind the championship leader.

Title-contender Alonso felt Ferrari and McLaren had closed the gap on Red Bull, who had a one-two finish in Japan two weeks ago.

“We feel that maybe it’s not as easy as it was for Red Bull in Suzuka, even if they are still being the favourites,” said Alonso. “I think the situation is different to that in Japan. Here, we and McLaren could do something interesting.”

Meanwhile, a number of drivers expressed concerns about the entry to the pit lane. Button said the entry to the pit lane was “scary” while Vettel said it was “difficult”.

Earlier, Hamilton topped the timesheets in the opening practice session despite having to sit out much of the early part of practice as his team changed the rear wing on his car.

Kubica was second for Renault, while Nico Rosberg for Mercedes was third. Vettel and Button came in fourth and fifth respectively.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 23^rd, 2010.