Italian GP: Free Practice 3 – Vettel does it again, Massa ahead of the McLarens
The final practice session of the Italian Grand Prix took place this morning, and it's Sebastian Vettel's Red Bull that recorded the fastest time, half a second ahead of the first car from another team. It remains to be seen if the same will happen in qualifying, with Mark Webber and Felipe Massa hot on his heels.
The drivers all start the session by doing one or two installation laps to discover the few modifications made to the circuit, while the FIA has imposed the camber limits requested by Pirelli.
Jérome d’Ambrosio is the first to set a time before the two Team Lotus drivers, while many others are on track. Michael Schumacher then sets one of the benchmark times at 1:26.943 but spins at the first corner while pushing the limits. The Red Bull and McLaren drivers also head out, but while only Vettel among them hasn’t set a time, it’s Nico Rosberg who takes the top spot at 1:24.688, before quickly being overtaken by Jenson Button. Mark Webber’s RB7 then takes the lead by 21 thousandths, while the two Ferrari drivers still haven’t come out.
Sebastian Vettel then stands out by recording a time of 1:24:000 while securing the best second and third sectors, with Nico Rosberg posting the best first sector. Mid-session, drivers begin to switch to soft tires, like Jaime Alguersuari and Nico Rosberg; Rosberg sets the best time, just over a tenth faster than Sebastian Vettel’s best lap on medium tires. Meanwhile, his Mercedes teammate falls short behind the reigning world champion, two-tenths slower than his teammate.
Lower in the rankings, the two Lotus Renault GP drivers seem to be struggling, while the two Toro Rosso drivers are rather comfortable. In the last position, Daniel Ricciardo struggles to break the 1:30 mark. Felipe Massa, then Mark Webber, set the best times while Sebastian Vettel continues to improve. The Red Bull driver shatters Mark Webber’s time with a 1:23.170, while Felipe Massa positions himself between the energy drink drivers and the McLaren drivers, half a second ahead of his Spanish teammate.
Sebastian Vettel seems to have gained a clear advantage over his opponents in this latest session, and the question arises once again this season: Who can beat Sebastian Vettel and Red Bull in qualifying?
Free Practice 3 Results of the Italian Grand Prix
| N° | Driver | Team | Times | Gap | Laps |
1 | Vettel | Red Bull | 1:23.170 | 18 | |
2 | Webber | Red Bull | 1:23.534 | +0.364 | 19 |
3 | Massa | Ferrari | 1:23.668 | +0.498 | 14 |
4 | Hamilton | McLaren | 1:23.741 | +0.571 | 17 |
5 | Button | McLaren | 1:23.787 | +0.617 | 16 |
6 | Rosberg | Mercedes GP | 1:23.875 | +0.705 | 22 |
7 | Schumacher | Mercedes GP | 1:24.114 | +0.944 | 20 |
8 | Alonso | Ferrari | 1:24.133 | +0.963 | 14 |
9 | Sutil | Force India | 1:24.543 | +1.373 | 21 |
10 | di Resta | Force India | 1:24.581 | +1.411 | 22 |
11 | Senna | Lotus Renault GP | 1:24.853 | +1.683 | 20 |
12 | Petrov | Lotus Renault GP | 1:24.889 | +1.719 | 19 |
13 | Perez | Sauber | 1:24.948 | +1.778 | 22 |
14 | Kobayashi | Sauber | 1:25.261 | +2.091 | 21 |
15 | Barrichello | Williams | 1:25.319 | +2.149 | 19 |
16 | Alguersuari | Toro Rosso | 1:25.426 | +2.256 | 19 |
17 | Buemi | Toro Rosso | 1:25.439 | +2.269 | 22 |
18 | Maldonado | Williams | 1:25.539 | +2.369 | 19 |
19 | Trulli | Team Lotus | 1:27.328 | +4.158 | 19 |
20 | Kovalainen | Team Lotus | 1:27.491 | +4.321 | 21 |
21 | D’Ambrosio | Marussia Virgin | 1:28.186 | +5.016 | 23 |
22 | Liuzzi | Hispania Racing Team | 1:28.441 | +5.271 | 22 |
23 | Glock | Marussia Virgin | 1:28.962 | +5.792 | 17 |
24 | Ricciardo | Hispania Racing Team | 1:30.316 | +7.146 | 16 |
