Vettel beats Webber with one lap in final practice
Spanish Grand Prix third practice
Sebastian Vettel, Red Bull, Barcelona, 2011
Sebastian Vettel missed much of the session as the team investigated an engine problem on his car.
He finally made it out of the pits with three minutes to spare. But that was all he needed to beat his team mate’s time by eight hundredths of a second.
Michael Schumacher was third-fastest for Mercedes ahead of the two McLarens.
Team mate Nico Rosberg looked on course for a good time before catching Vitaly Petrov’s Renault in the final sector.
Nick Heidfeld had a scare in the other Renault when his car caught fire halfway through the session.
The R31 began spitting flames as he came out of Campsa, and the car was engulfed by fire as he braked to a stop. He jumped clear of the car while the marshals quickly brought the fire under control.
Renault admitted a sensor had reported high temperatures on the right-hand side of Heidfeld’s car as he left the pits, but they mistakenly believed the sensor was faulty.
Ferrari endured a difficult session after being told they could not run their new rear wing which infringed the technical rules.
Fernando Alonso headed for the pits after his car became stuck in sixth gear, and Felipe Massa was told on his radio his rear wing wasn’t working properly.
At the end of the session five cars were slower than 107% of Vettel’s time: Heidfeld’s Renault, plus the HRTs and Virgins. The latter two teams have taken the exhaust-blown diffusers off their cars, prompting speculation they could protest the devices used by their rivals.
Combined practice times
| Pos | Driver | Car | FP1 | FP2 | FP3 | Total laps |
| 1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull-Renault | 1’26.149 | 1’22.826 | 1’21.707 | 63 |
| 2 | Mark Webber | Red Bull-Renault | 1’25.142 | 1’22.470 | 1’21.791 | 79 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’26.988 | 1’22.509 | 1’23.068 | 59 |
| 4 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | 1’27.016 | 1’23.981 | 1’23.057 | 78 |
| 5 | Jenson Button | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’27.138 | 1’23.188 | 1’23.214 | 68 |
| 6 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1’26.379 | 1’23.586 | 1’23.397 | 82 |
| 7 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 1’26.480 | 1’23.568 | 1’24.270 | 72 |
| 8 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’28.819 | 1’24.290 | 1’23.669 | 73 |
| 9 | Vitaly Petrov | Renault | 1’27.241 | 1’24.786 | 1’24.043 | 83 |
| 10 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 1’28.654 | 1’24.278 | 1’24.322 | 75 |
| 11 | Rubens Barrichello | Williams-Cosworth | 1’27.212 | 1’25.303 | 1’24.318 | 76 |
| 12 | Sergio Perez | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’26.738 | 1’24.483 | 1’24.329 | 83 |
| 13 | Nick Heidfeld | Renault | 1’27.132 | 1’24.366 | 1’29.200 | 58 |
| 14 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams-Cosworth | 1’28.005 | 1’25.603 | 1’24.399 | 71 |
| 15 | Sebastien Buemi | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 1’25.296 | 1’24.535 | 49 | |
| 16 | Adrian Sutil | Force India-Mercedes | 1’28.163 | 1’27.123 | 1’24.695 | 60 |
| 17 | Jaime Alguersuari | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 1’28.995 | 1’25.457 | 1’24.722 | 57 |
| 18 | Paul di Resta | Force India-Mercedes | 1’26.073 | 1’25.223 | 51 | |
| 19 | Heikki Kovalainen | Lotus-Renault | 1’29.231 | 1’26.417 | 1’26.236 | 69 |
| 20 | Jarno Trulli | Lotus-Renault | 1’31.418 | 1’27.189 | 1’27.000 | 66 |
| 21 | Daniel Ricciardo | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 1’27.471 | 23 | ||
| 22 | Timo Glock | Virgin-Cosworth | 1’31.235 | 1’28.062 | 1’27.706 | 72 |
| 23 | Nico Hülkenberg | Force India-Mercedes | 1’28.027 | 26 | ||
| 24 | Jerome d’Ambrosio | Virgin-Cosworth | 1’30.896 | 1’28.036 | 1’29.057 | 72 |
| 25 | Vitantonio Liuzzi | HRT-Cosworth | 1’31.268 | 1’29.476 | 1’28.330 | 71 |
| 26 | Narain Karthikeyan | HRT-Cosworth | 1’32.106 | 1’29.469 | 1’29.562 | 69 |
2011 Spanish Grand Prix
- 2011 Spanish Grand Prix: complete race weekend review
- Vote for the best driver of the Spanish Grand Prix weekend
- Red Bull: Vettel soaks up pressure for fourth win
- McLaren: Hamilton strong on “disastrous” Pirellis
- Ferrari: Alonso stars, Massa struggles
- Mercedes: Rosberg wanted Schumacher to let him pass
- Renault: Heidfeld eighth after “worst fire of my career”
- Williams: Maldonado reaches Q3 but still no points
- Sauber: Kobayashi gets point after puncture
- Force India hold back on aerodynamic upgrade
Image © Red Bull/Getty images
olliekart said on 21st May 2011, 11:15
feeling depressed now……
Fixy (@fixy) said on 21st May 2011, 11:17
Why did HRT and Virgin take the blown-diffusers off if they’re still allowed? Does it cost in terms of time?
DVC said on 21st May 2011, 11:36
Maybe because they haven’t got them to work.
VXR said on 21st May 2011, 11:36
They don’t want to be dragged into any EBD protests.
RoboCAT (@robocat) said on 21st May 2011, 11:17
Redbull looking VERY strong. Still think Webber may just snag pole. You have to remember Webber was on a better lap but backed off. Vettel proberly had light fuel also for just one flying lap.
Who knows. Well we know a Redbull will be on pole!
Last Pope Eye said on 21st May 2011, 12:15
Hope to see Webber take the pole!!
Todfod (@todfod) said on 21st May 2011, 11:18
FP3 made my prediction for this race ridiculously difficult. All of a sudden Ferrari are off the pace, and Vettel still is the favourite to take pole and now Mercedes looks stronger than Mclaren as well. Argh…
zecks said on 21st May 2011, 11:31
yeah, it is so tough! merc have a better 1 lap pace than mclaren but a worse race pace than renault and you never know what alonso can pull out from nowhere either. all we need is a few exploding red bulls and we would have the perfect race.
Dizzy-A (@david-a) said on 21st May 2011, 12:15
Mercedes always flatter to deceive in Free Practice.
Zecks (@zecks) said on 21st May 2011, 12:46
rosberg did qualify 3rd in the last race
Dizzy-A (@david-a) said on 21st May 2011, 16:26
But they’ve gone back to their usual ways. Plus Rosberg didn’t end up finishing 3rd.
lubhz (@lubhz) said on 21st May 2011, 11:20
Briatore is a jerk but I’m almost convinced that he was right about scraping the F150°
HounslowBusGarage (@hounslowbusgarage) said on 21st May 2011, 11:22
Didn’t see FP3, Ferrari told not to run the new wing?
Todfod (@todfod) said on 21st May 2011, 11:27
They’re back to running the Turkey wing.
pnarciso said on 21st May 2011, 12:34
Turkey wings really suck, that’s why turkeys can’t fly…
Mitz said on 21st May 2011, 11:29
Did anyone see the Merc drivers lifting their left hand to press a lever??? I wonder if thats the magic paddle and I thought it was illegal as well
AlexT (@alext) said on 21st May 2011, 11:31
probably the bias lever
KaIIe (@kaiie) said on 21st May 2011, 11:59
That’s the brake bias knob, as it’s not allowed to be on the steering wheel.
davidsclifford@btinternet.com (@davidscliffordbtinternet-com) said on 21st May 2011, 11:30
Virgin say they took off their exhaust blown diffuser just in case another team protested against them! How unlikely is that? Why protest a team that is at the back of the grid all of the time, unless they cause issues during the race? Well, the skeptic would say that they’re positioning themselves, along with HRT, for a protest. Unpopular? Yes, but they’ll argue that they need points and points mean cash. We don’t need this, the FIA need to stop prevaricating and make a statement that gives the teams a grace period to address the issue.
HounslowBusGarage (@hounslowbusgarage) said on 21st May 2011, 11:36
Wouldn’t it be hilarious if all the other teams were excluded from the results leaving Virgin and HRT as the only eligible finishers . . . Narain for WDC!
Todfod (@todfod) said on 21st May 2011, 11:40
Narain still would finish last amongst those 4 drivers
Sushi Meerkat (@sushi-meerkat) said on 21st May 2011, 12:13
Yeah but under the complicated rules of F1 it’d still mean he’s the winner.
GO NARAIN!
Sushi Meerkat (@sushi-meerkat) said on 21st May 2011, 11:37
Err I think you put your email address into the nickname box, its a prime way to get spam emails, on what looks like your main account buddy.
Just thought I’d give you a fair warning.
About the Virgin diffuser, I find that team really really strange, they talk as if they are one of the big hitters. At least HRT are aware of their issues.
DSC-MSXS (@dsc-msxs) said on 21st May 2011, 11:41
Oops, yes, thanks for pointing that out SushiM. I’m back as my alter ego now.
Steve said on 21st May 2011, 11:40
a protest – if it happens- would be done against all teams using EBD’s off throttle, hence Virgin’s explanation is that they are covering for that possibility, not expecting a direct complaint against them in particular.
On another note: why is everyone looking so much into the FP times, they’re still half a second off of Schumi’s preseason best, so times will surely drop considerably in quali, nobody’s showing their cards just yet
VXR said on 21st May 2011, 11:38
So. Any ideas about who’s going to be on pole?
Sushi Meerkat (@sushi-meerkat) said on 21st May 2011, 16:06
I reckon its Webber
:D
Mitz said on 21st May 2011, 11:40
Hope its not finger boy, Would love to see Webbo on pole or even Schumi
Todfod (@todfod) said on 21st May 2011, 11:45
Schumi? Thats a little too wishful.. but it definitely is Webber’s best chance to take pole from his teammate.
VXR said on 21st May 2011, 11:46
I don’t hold any hope for the doughnut kid getting it. Maybe Schumacher can give them a scare?
mitz1111 (@mitz1111) said on 21st May 2011, 11:48
nah, he looks around 7 tenths off the pace, macca would be my best bet to give finger kid a scare
slr said on 21st May 2011, 11:52
Sauber are looking really good, I expect to see at least one of them in Q3, though I believe both are very capable of doing so.
silencer (@silencer) said on 21st May 2011, 11:59
I would love to see HRT or virgin protest about the device after the race tomorrow
:D
Todfod (@todfod) said on 21st May 2011, 12:06
I really doubt anyone is going to listen to them. Its quite a sneaky move on their part though, they weren’t gaining much from the EBD anyways, so why not take it off and complain to the indecisive FIA.
I hope one of the frontrunners put on a pair of softs on in Q1, and get them out of the 107% time. That would be hilarious.
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner) said on 21st May 2011, 12:55
I can’t see it happening. Ok, they may get some valuable points towards their final championship position but they will nark off alot of people along the way. HRT aren’t in FOTA and this certainly won’t help them make any friends.
Sick of Red Bull said on 21st May 2011, 12:00
I have lost interest in Quali because of Red Bull dominance ! They will lock out the front row again ! Mclaren, Ferrari and Mercedes please do something to stop Red bull!
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner) said on 21st May 2011, 12:56
It’s not just about the front row y’know. Most of the exciting stuff is around the back end of Q2.
Darren said on 21st May 2011, 12:01
Somebody tell Ferrari to chat to Red Bull about introducing new parts ie: interpretation of the rules, concentration on grey areas and reading rules to your advantage.
VXR said on 21st May 2011, 12:08
If that’s the best that Ferrari can come up with……….
Todfod (@todfod) said on 21st May 2011, 12:08
Ferrari did try to exploit a grey area with their new rear wing.. unfortunately it was deemed illegal, and now Ferrari are screwed.