Formula 1 Canadian GP 2013: Mark Webber Fastest in Shortened Final Practice
Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton were all on P1 in a 30-minute practice session affected by rain and repairs to the track
Mark Webber took Red Bull Racing to the top of the timesheets in a truncated final practice session for the 2013 Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix. The Australian jumped to the top of the queue with 1:17.895, to round out a succession of fastest times posted in the final minutes of the session.
UPDATE: Sebastian Vettel claims pole position at 2013 Canadian Grand Prix, with Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Williams' Valtteri Bottas second and third.
Force India's Adrian Sutil, Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso and Webber's team mate, Sebastian Vettel, all held P1, in that order, in the final seconds of a chaotic session, before being dropped a place each. The previously damp Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve improved dramatically in the final three-and-a-half minutes, with drivers gaining a considerable amount of time per lap, as the conditions improved.
The start of the third practice session was delayed by 30 minutes, following the need for repairs at Turn 11, leaving only half-an-hour for the drivers to prepare for qualifying. The weather was problematic as well, with the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve under cloudy and cold skies. Rain was forecast before the session and duly arrived, leading the FIA to declare the session Wet and disable the DRS option.
READ: Formula 1 Canadian GP 2013: Force India's Paul di Resta Leads after Wet First Practice Session
The track was eventually opened at 10.30am local time and a number of cars were immediately out on the damp track, as much to gain an understanding of the situation as to clear a racing line for the qualifying period.
The two Caterhams were first out on track and Giedo van der Garde, McLaren's Jenson Button and Sutil posted the first P1s of the session, with Button possibly the first to notice a dry line emerging. Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg and Williams' Valterri Bottas then traded fastest laps, with the former advising his team against switching to dry weather tyres just yet.
With 15 minutes to go, Ferrari's Felipe Massa took P1 but was booted off by Esteban Gutierrez. Lotus-Renault's Kimi Raikkonen took third for the moment. The track exploded into life in the final 10 minutes, with Alonso, Vettel, Hamilton and Webber, who were among those yet to set a time, all taking to the tracks on the P Zero Red (supersoft) compounds. A clear racing line had emerged by this time and the times were set to fall.
READ: Formula 1 Canadian GP 2013: Ferrari and Fernando Alonso Fastest in Second Practice
Massa set the ball rolling with 1:19.750 but that was swiftly toppled by di Resta's 1:19.496. Rosberg and Vettel took 0.039s and 0.326s off that time but it was left to Alonso to register the first sub-1:19.000 time of the session. The two-time world champion posted 1:18.977 but even that was not enough, with Hamilton (1:18.732), Sutil (1:18.248) and Webber all going faster.
The qualifying session for the 2013 Formula 1 Grand Prix will run as scheduled and start at 1pm local time (6pm BST). For information on where to watch qualifying live, click here.
Click here for the full timesheet of the final practice session.
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