Sebastian Vettel was emphatically fastest in final practice for the Korean Grand Prix.
The Red Bull driver ended the session over half a second ahead of the next-fastest car.
He and team mate Mark Webber took to the track earlier than their rivals and were immediately quick. Webber beat the best super-soft tyre time from Friday using soft tyres, lapping in 1’38.766.
McLaren and Ferrari didn’t send their cars out until the session was almost half-done. Fernando Alonso got within three-tenths of Webber.
McLaren showed better pace at this stage, Lewis Hamilton going quickest with a 1’38.464. But when Vettel returned to the circuit he quickly moved the benchmark further, lapping in 1’38.215.
Vettel increased his margin when the teams did their super-soft tyre runs. He set two laps quicker than anyone else could manage. His final effort of 1’37.642 was over half a second quicker than Hamilton’s best time on the softer rubber, and eight-tenths ahead of Jenson Button.
Webber was unable to set a time in the dying minutes as a technical problem kept him back in the pits.
The two Lotus drivers made gains on the super-soft tyres and completed the top five. Kimi Raikkonen, the only one running the team’s new Coanda exhaust, was slightly slower than Romain Grosjean.
Fernando Alonso was sixth for Ferrari, over a second off Vettel’s pace, with Felipe Massa eighth behind Webber. Pastor Maldonado and Nico Hulkenberg also made it into the top ten.
Traffic proved a problem again and as in the second practice session it was the HRTs bearing the brunt of the problems, Narain Karthikeyan complaining after being held up by Sergio Perez.
Combined practice times
Pos | Driver | Car | FP1 | FP2 | FP3 | Fri/Sat diff | Total laps |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull-Renault | 1’40.088 | 1’38.832 | 1’37.642 | -1.19 | 71 |
2 | Lewis Hamilton | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’39.148 | 1’39.717 | 1’38.199 | -0.949 | 60 |
3 | Jenson Button | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’40.480 | 1’39.219 | 1’38.511 | -0.708 | 63 |
4 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus-Renault | 1’40.422 | 1’39.957 | 1’38.582 | -1.375 | 66 |
5 | Kimi Raikkonen | Lotus-Renault | 1’40.929 | 1’39.839 | 1’38.666 | -1.173 | 58 |
6 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 1’39.450 | 1’39.160 | 1’38.705 | -0.455 | 61 |
7 | Mark Webber | Red Bull-Renault | 1’39.575 | 1’38.864 | 1’38.766 | -0.098 | 61 |
8 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 1’39.854 | 1’39.422 | 1’38.791 | -0.631 | 66 |
9 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams-Renault | 1’41.048 | 1’41.200 | 1’38.833 | -2.215 | 74 |
10 | Nico Hulkenberg | Force India-Mercedes | 1’39.739 | 1’38.932 | -0.807 | 50 | |
11 | Sergio Perez | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’41.514 | 1’40.745 | 1’38.954 | -1.791 | 48 |
12 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1’40.396 | 1’39.584 | 1’39.010 | -0.574 | 80 |
13 | Michael Schumacher | Mercedes | 1’40.221 | 1’39.330 | 1’39.150 | -0.18 | 70 |
14 | Paul di Resta | Force India-Mercedes | 1’40.440 | 1’40.112 | 1’39.156 | -0.956 | 71 |
15 | Kamui Kobayashi | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’41.220 | 1’40.445 | 1’39.345 | -1.1 | 61 |
16 | Jean-Eric Vergne | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 1’42.021 | 1’40.789 | 1’39.448 | -1.341 | 73 |
17 | Daniel Ricciardo | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 1’41.596 | 1’40.997 | 1’39.537 | -1.46 | 73 |
18 | Bruno Senna | Williams-Renault | 1’40.089 | 1’39.706 | -0.383 | 50 | |
19 | Vitaly Petrov | Caterham-Renault | 1’43.067 | 1’41.114 | -1.953 | 36 | |
20 | Jules Bianchi | Force India-Mercedes | 1’41.140 | 21 | |||
21 | Heikki Kovalainen | Caterham-Renault | 1’42.104 | 1’41.602 | 1’41.437 | -0.165 | 66 |
22 | Charles Pic | Marussia-Cosworth | 1’42.708 | 1’43.066 | 1’41.684 | -1.024 | 59 |
23 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams-Renault | 1’42.027 | 23 | |||
24 | Timo Glock | Marussia-Cosworth | 1’42.175 | 1’42.596 | 1’42.062 | -0.113 | 56 |
25 | Giedo van der Garde | Caterham-Renault | 1’42.820 | 19 | |||
26 | Narain Karthikeyan | HRT-Cosworth | 1’43.869 | 1’42.845 | -1.024 | 51 | |
27 | Pedro de la Rosa | HRT-Cosworth | 1’44.517 | 1’44.533 | 1’42.882 | -1.635 | 61 |
28 | Dani Clos | HRT-Cosworth | 1’45.735 | 22 |
2012 Korean Grand Prix
Image © Red Bull/Getty images
RIISE (@riise)
13th October 2012, 4:11
Well this is looking ominous. Barring any potential problems, we are most likely going to see a Vettel pole and win.
Prisoner Monkeys (@prisoner-monkeys)
13th October 2012, 4:13
We said the same thing about Valencia …
leotef (@leotef)
13th October 2012, 4:44
I hope the same thing happen here in Korea too :P
Max Jacobson (@vettel1)
13th October 2012, 11:48
@prisoner-monkeys – the same thing was also said last week, look how that turned out.
Eggry (@eggry)
13th October 2012, 4:13
I should know this coming. Quite disappointed Vettel looks so mighty. Just hope someone or something stop his dominance sooner than later…
BOSS (@boss)
13th October 2012, 4:24
it is better for his red bull to win the championship rather than ferrari
Eggry (@eggry)
13th October 2012, 4:27
@boss
What?
David-A (@david-a)
13th October 2012, 4:28
I just want to see a decent remainder of the season, regardless of who wins (even if I do want Vettel or Alonso to win the title).
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
13th October 2012, 23:35
@Eggry It’s hardly dominance if they win just two races in a row! :P
Eggry (@eggry)
14th October 2012, 0:02
@andrewtanner well this is 2012 style dominance :P
AndrewTanner (@andrewtanner)
14th October 2012, 11:58
@eggry I think you might be on to something now, I take it back :D
AndreGaidzinski
13th October 2012, 3:13
RT @f1fanatic_co_uk: Vettel on top by half a second in Korea: http://t.co/Sg2PjtF8 #F1
JoseEMontesB
13th October 2012, 3:15
RT @f1fanatic_co_uk: Vettel on top by half a second in Korea: http://t.co/Sg2PjtF8 #F1
James (@goodyear92)
13th October 2012, 4:19
It’s so depressing to know with almost complete certainty that Vettel will be on pole and, as is the nature of this season especially, will probably win as a result of this. I don’t know if I can cope with seeing him notch up another Championship — which is looking more and more like the season’s eventual outcome — when my driver has performed well enough to be leading with a healthy margin, but has been beset by more bad luck than any of the other contenders. I really hope that the signs of Red Bulls less dominant race pace are a genuine marker, and Vettel loses out tomorrow — to either Alonso or Hamilton. If either of those two can win the race, and the title, I will be made up. However, I’m unfortunately preparing myself to endure another Vettel cruise to victory. Also, anyone that takes offence to what I’ve said — don’t. I’m well within my right to wish a bad result on Vettel and Red Bull (although, I wouldn’t be unhappy with a great result for the Aussie in the team), as I don’t support them in any shape or form.
James (@goodyear92)
13th October 2012, 4:21
Also, I should probably make it clear, I don’t want a bad result to be brought about by a car failiure — I don’t like seeing anyone lose a deserved win. I just hope their pace in the race isn’t the fastest, and they lose out as a result.
Zx12rdave
13th October 2012, 3:20
RT @f1fanatic_co_uk: Vettel on top by half a second in Korea: http://t.co/Sg2PjtF8 #F1
Oblong_Cheese (@oblong_cheese)
13th October 2012, 4:41
Just another F1 weekend for Webber with technical issues hampering his preparation as usual.
Eggry (@eggry)
13th October 2012, 4:45
I wonder why it’s (almost) always Webber…perhaps due to driving style?
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
13th October 2012, 5:00
@eggry It wasn’t Webber’s car that retired at Monza, or while leading the race in Valencia.
Eggry (@eggry)
13th October 2012, 5:01
@keithcollantine What I meant was in practice.
leotef (@leotef)
13th October 2012, 4:49
It almost become generic or given to hear this or that issues at WEB’s side. And heard not an instance of issues coming from VET’s car out of RB’s garage. Either VET is too lucky golden boy or WEB is too unlucky 2nd man stuck by bad things.
David-A (@david-a)
13th October 2012, 4:53
Vettel has had technical issues this year (and in other years), so let’s not get silly.
Eggry (@eggry)
13th October 2012, 4:58
@leotef @david-a Interesting point is that Webber usually suffers in FP or Quali, and Vettel suffers in race. I would say Vettel was a little more unlucky considering how it’s massive blow for the championship. Still I don’t know why this trend continues.
BBQ2
13th October 2012, 5:02
Remember, Webber said he is in Korea to win! And still counting on the WDC.
To me, that is a direct confrontation with Dr. Marko and he will not take it lightly with the Aussie. So no surprises there with his issues.
Keith Collantine (@keithcollantine)
13th October 2012, 4:44
Curious that Ferrari haven’t found as much time since yesterday as Red Bull or even McLaren.
Eggry (@eggry)
13th October 2012, 4:50
and even less than Lotus. I wish it’s the sign that they’re concentrating on race pace. That’s their last hope.
Traverse Mark Senior (@)
13th October 2012, 4:53
Maybe they’re sandbagging?
KaIIe (@kaiie)
13th October 2012, 4:56
I’ll be very surprised if Vettel doesn’t grab pole; he would be on top even with the harder tire. Interestingly it seems that there isn’t that much of a difference between the tire compounds, maybe some team(s) [Red Bull] might be able to make it into Q3 with the harder one (though it might be risky).
Aldoid
13th October 2012, 5:16
The championship was going so well… now by the looks of things, Vettel’s Red Bull is gonna be on pole by a mile for the rest of the season. Oh, well… it was fun while it lasted.