Two-time Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel put his Red Bull-RB8 Renualt on top of the timing sheets in both free practice sessions of the Grand Prix of India held at the Buddh International Circuit, one of the fastest and most spectacular circuits on the F1 calendar, where nine of the 10 corners between turns five and 14 are taken between 200 and 250kph.
This morning, Vettel worked on evaluating the two types of Pirelli tires and his race set-up until five minutes to go when he set his fastest time in 1m27.619.
Jenson Button of McLaren was second, followed by Fernando Alsonso of Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton of McLaren.
Mexican Esteban Gutierrez took over the Sauber-Ferrari of fellow countryman Sergio Pérez, still unfit to drive. The rookie set the 20th fastest time.
In the second practice session run with 38 degrees of track temperature, Vettel was again unbeatable. The Red Bull driver set a time of 1m26.221 on the soft compound, signficantly faster than in the morning, and sixths tenths of a second clear of his main championship rival, Fernando Alonso.
Button, Alonso and Hamilton all shared the fastest lap until Vettel put on a strong performance to beat them all.
Felipe Massa, Bruno Senna, Romain Grosjean all spun without damaging their cars.
Vettel's teammate, Australian Mark Webber, also set a (very) fast lap and finally emerged second quickest, just one tenth of a second behind Vettel.
Alonso was third in his Ferrari, ahead of Nico Rosberg (Mercedes AMG), Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus), Hamilton and Button in their McLarens.
German Nico Hulkenberg ended up 8th in his Sahara Force India ahead of Grosjean (Lotus) and Senna (Williams).
Sergio Pérez was back in his Sauber in the afternoon and set the 12th fastest time.
The difference between the soft tires and the hard tires in India is expected to be in the region of 0.8 to one second per lap but the situation is made more complicated by the high degree of track evolution that exists at the Buddh circuit as the surface rubbers in.
During FP1 for example, some drivers were improving their times by up to a second per lap as the session went on, while Vettel set the fastest time (1m27.619) in the final five minutes on the hard tire.
Grand Prix of India, first free practice session, Friday*:
1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'27"619 - 22 laps
2 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'27"929 - 22
3 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) - 1'28"044 - 25
4 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'28"046 - 25
5 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'28"175 - 22
6 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'28"447 - 25
7 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 1'28"542 - 24
8 - Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'28"993 - 23
9 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'29"204 - 24
10 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'29"291 - 24
11 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'29"691 - 26
12 - Paul di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'29"760 - 23
13 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'29"802 - 18
14 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'29"850 - 19
15 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'29"895 - 19
16 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'30"041 - 26
17 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'30"401 - 23
18 - Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'30"630 - 24
19 - Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'30"896 - 20
20 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'31"212 - 29
21 - Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'31"903 - 22
22 - Narain Karthikeyan (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'32"125 - 24
23 - Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'32"369 - 19
24 - Pedro de la Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'32"859 - 13
Grand Prix of India, second free practice session, Friday*:
1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'26"221 - 35 laps
2 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'26"339 - 33
3 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) - 1'26"820 - 34
4 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'27"022 - 38
5 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'27"030 - 40
6 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'27"131 - 38
7 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'27"929 - 24
8 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'27"233 - 37
9 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'27"397 - 36
10 - Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'27"738 - 36
11 - Paul di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'28"004 - 32
12 - Sergio Perez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'28"178 - 39
13 - Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'28"222 - 37
14 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'28"239 - 37
15 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 1'28"296 - 23
16 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'28"455 - 40
17 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'28"596 - 38
18 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'29"167 - 35
19 - Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'29"320 - 43
20 - Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'29"606 - 22
21 - Pedro de la Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'30"950 - 37
21 - Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'31"113 - 35
23 - Narain Karthikeyan (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'31"372 - 20
24 - Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'31"493 - 31
*Unofficial results
 |
| Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull. (Photo: WRi2) |
This morning, Vettel worked on evaluating the two types of Pirelli tires and his race set-up until five minutes to go when he set his fastest time in 1m27.619.
Jenson Button of McLaren was second, followed by Fernando Alsonso of Ferrari and Lewis Hamilton of McLaren.
Mexican Esteban Gutierrez took over the Sauber-Ferrari of fellow countryman Sergio Pérez, still unfit to drive. The rookie set the 20th fastest time.
 |
| Esteban Gutierrez. (Photo: Sauber F1 Team) |
In the second practice session run with 38 degrees of track temperature, Vettel was again unbeatable. The Red Bull driver set a time of 1m26.221 on the soft compound, signficantly faster than in the morning, and sixths tenths of a second clear of his main championship rival, Fernando Alonso.
Button, Alonso and Hamilton all shared the fastest lap until Vettel put on a strong performance to beat them all.
Felipe Massa, Bruno Senna, Romain Grosjean all spun without damaging their cars.
 |
| Romain Grosjean, Lotus. (Photo: WRi2) |
Vettel's teammate, Australian Mark Webber, also set a (very) fast lap and finally emerged second quickest, just one tenth of a second behind Vettel.
Alonso was third in his Ferrari, ahead of Nico Rosberg (Mercedes AMG), Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus), Hamilton and Button in their McLarens.
 |
| Nico Rosberg. (Photo: Mercedes AMG F1 Team). |
German Nico Hulkenberg ended up 8th in his Sahara Force India ahead of Grosjean (Lotus) and Senna (Williams).
Sergio Pérez was back in his Sauber in the afternoon and set the 12th fastest time.
The difference between the soft tires and the hard tires in India is expected to be in the region of 0.8 to one second per lap but the situation is made more complicated by the high degree of track evolution that exists at the Buddh circuit as the surface rubbers in.
 |
| Giedo Van der Garde. (Photo: Caterham F1 Team) |
During FP1 for example, some drivers were improving their times by up to a second per lap as the session went on, while Vettel set the fastest time (1m27.619) in the final five minutes on the hard tire.
 |
| Daniel Ricciardo, Toro Rosso. (Photo: WRi2) |
Grand Prix of India, first free practice session, Friday*:
1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'27"619 - 22 laps
2 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'27"929 - 22
3 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) - 1'28"044 - 25
4 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'28"046 - 25
5 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'28"175 - 22
6 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'28"447 - 25
7 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 1'28"542 - 24
8 - Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'28"993 - 23
9 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'29"204 - 24
10 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'29"291 - 24
11 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'29"691 - 26
12 - Paul di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'29"760 - 23
13 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'29"802 - 18
14 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'29"850 - 19
15 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'29"895 - 19
16 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'30"041 - 26
17 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'30"401 - 23
18 - Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'30"630 - 24
19 - Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'30"896 - 20
20 - Esteban Gutierrez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'31"212 - 29
21 - Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'31"903 - 22
22 - Narain Karthikeyan (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'32"125 - 24
23 - Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'32"369 - 19
24 - Pedro de la Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'32"859 - 13
Grand Prix of India, second free practice session, Friday*:
1 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'26"221 - 35 laps
2 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'26"339 - 33
3 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) - 1'26"820 - 34
4 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'27"022 - 38
5 - Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'27"030 - 40
6 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'27"131 - 38
7 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'27"929 - 24
8 - Nico Hulkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'27"233 - 37
9 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'27"397 - 36
10 - Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'27"738 - 36
11 - Paul di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'28"004 - 32
12 - Sergio Perez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'28"178 - 39
13 - Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'28"222 - 37
14 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'28"239 - 37
15 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 1'28"296 - 23
16 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'28"455 - 40
17 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'28"596 - 38
18 - Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'29"167 - 35
19 - Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'29"320 - 43
20 - Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'29"606 - 22
21 - Pedro de la Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'30"950 - 37
21 - Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'31"113 - 35
23 - Narain Karthikeyan (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'31"372 - 20
24 - Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'31"493 - 31
*Unofficial results