Singapore GP – Free Practice 3: Mark Webber Gets Angry!

Most of the drivers complete an installation lap after, for some, start tests. Jérôme d’Ambrosio is the first to go for a flying lap but has to cut a chicane. Lewis Hamilton is the second driver to go out alongside Kamui Kobayashi and Timo Glock, with the latter losing a small piece of carbon on the straight.

After 20 minutes, more and more of them are on track with the soft tires, and it’s Jenson Button who has the best time at 1:50:707, far from yesterday’s times.

The two Mercedes also climb to the top of the timing sheets but cannot reach the Briton. On a flying lap, Michael Schumacher gets held up by Pastor Maldonado and shows a sign of anger, raising his arm from the cockpit.

After 30 minutes, the Ferrari and Red Bull drivers finally make their outings, and it’s ultimately Sebastian Vettel who takes the advantage on soft tires, while Fernando Alonso, who is really driving at the limit, gets close. But the Red Bull driver drives the point home and improves by half a second. In the pack, the battle is intense while Lotus Renault GP seems to be falling behind.

And the first driver to use the super-soft tires is Barrichello, twenty minutes before the end of the session. He is followed by Michael Schumacher, who finishes in second place, while Sebastian Vettel improves even further on soft tires. Vitaly Petrov, equipped with the softest compound, finishes a full 4 seconds behind the German driver.

The drivers will need to be careful if the Red Bulls, especially Sebastian Vettel, use the super-soft tires in Q1. Nico Rosberg then edges out Michael Schumacher by a few thousandths. In the last 10 minutes, Fernando Alonso sets a very good time of 1:46.452 after grazing and then brushing the walls, while most of the drivers are also heading out.

Jenson Button then sets the fastest time while Lewis Hamilton is unusually slow in his first lap. Mark Webber then surpasses him, while Sebastian Vettel makes a mistake in the second sector and only manages the 3rd fastest time.

Felipe Massa sets the eighth fastest time while Lewis Hamilton leads the two Mercedes GP cars in fifth position. Mark Webber confirms the good form of the Red Bull team, with his teammate unable to show the real potential of his car due to traffic. Disappointment for Lotus Renault GP who are on the edge of entering Q2 this afternoon.

Results of Free Practice 3 – 2011 Singapore Grand Prix: