Fernando Alonso was quickest in the final practice session for the Bahrain Grand Prix despite spinning.
Lotus led the way early in the session but this time it was Romain Grosjean who headed the times with a 1’33.464.
Ferrari made their customary late appearance in the final practice session, taking to the track halfway through. But Fernando Alonso couldn’t beat Grosjean’s time, setting a 1’33.620 for second.
Both drivers were relegated when Sebastian Vettel took to the track and lowered the quickest time on hard tyres to a 1’33.348.
Alonso hit hit trouble when he returned to the track for his second run. The F138 snapped out of control at the exit of turn two, pitching him into the gravel trap. He carefully extracted his car from the run-off and returned to the pits.
Mercedes were the first team to switch to the medium compound tyres, but Lewis Hamilton was unable to beat Vettel’s fastest time on hards. A 1’33.455 left him second.
Alonso produced a clean lap with his first run on mediums and took the fastest time off Vettel with a 1’33.247. But when the Red Bull driver came out at the end of the session he caught Charles Pic at the final corner and had to back off.
Mark Webber improved to third with his last lap. Kimi Raikkonen took fourth ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who suffered a puncture at the end of the session.
The margins between the leading cars was very slim, with 0.675s covering the top ten. Felipe Massa was among those outside the top ten, followed by Jenson Button, who complained of traffic on his last lap. His team mate also complained he’d been held up in the last corner by Alonso.
Complete Bahrain Grand Prix practice times
Pos | Driver | Car | FP1 | FP2 | FP3 | Fri/Sat diff | Total laps |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | 1’34.564 | 1’34.310 | 1’33.247 | -1.063 | 60 |
2 | Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull-Renault | 1’34.790 | 1’34.282 | 1’33.348 | -0.934 | 64 |
3 | Mark Webber | Red Bull-Renault | 1’35.101 | 1’34.184 | 1’33.380 | -0.804 | 64 |
4 | Kimi Raikkonen | Lotus-Renault | 1’35.345 | 1’34.154 | 1’33.446 | -0.708 | 69 |
5 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’35.792 | 1’34.976 | 1’33.455 | -1.521 | 64 |
6 | Romain Grosjean | Lotus-Renault | 1’35.611 | 1’34.631 | 1’33.464 | -1.167 | 66 |
7 | Adrian Sutil | Force India-Mercedes | 1’35.119 | 1’34.932 | 1’33.596 | -1.336 | 69 |
8 | Paul di Resta | Force India-Mercedes | 1’34.949 | 1’34.543 | 1’33.700 | -0.843 | 67 |
9 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1’34.621 | 1’34.666 | 1’33.764 | -0.857 | 78 |
10 | Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’36.755 | 1’36.133 | 1’33.922 | -2.211 | 73 |
11 | Felipe Massa | Ferrari | 1’34.487 | 1’34.552 | 1’33.949 | -0.538 | 65 |
12 | Jenson Button | McLaren | 1’35.069 | 1’35.356 | 1’34.117 | -0.952 | 71 |
13 | Sergio Perez | McLaren | 1’35.640 | 1’35.589 | 1’34.282 | -1.307 | 78 |
14 | Daniel Ricciardo | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 1’36.485 | 1’35.761 | 1’34.577 | -1.184 | 69 |
15 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams-Renault | 1’35.783 | 1’36.579 | 1’34.611 | -1.172 | 61 |
16 | Jean-Eric Vergne | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 1’36.014 | 1’35.506 | 1’34.678 | -0.828 | 71 |
17 | Pastor Maldonado | Williams-Renault | 1’36.498 | 1’36.279 | 1’34.833 | -1.446 | 67 |
18 | Charles Pic | Caterham-Renault | 1’37.850 | 1’37.061 | 1’35.816 | -1.245 | 69 |
19 | Esteban Gutierrez | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’37.214 | 1’36.616 | 1’39.592 | +2.976 | 84 |
20 | Jules Bianchi | Marussia-Cosworth | 1’37.363 | 1’36.731 | -0.632 | 46 | |
21 | Giedo van der Garde | Caterham-Renault | 1’37.970 | 1’36.939 | -1.031 | 29 | |
22 | Max Chilton | Marussia-Cosworth | 1’39.445 | 1’37.313 | 1’37.630 | +0.317 | 52 |
23 | Heikki Kovalainen | Caterham-Renault | 1’38.401 | 20 | |||
24 | Rodolfo Gonzalez | Marussia-Cosworth | 1’40.215 | 7 |
2013 Bahrain Grand Prix
- 2013 Bahrain Grand Prix fans’ video gallery
- Vettel wins Bahrain Driver of the Weekend poll
- Bahrain was an “aberration”, says Vergne
- Karthikeyan (no, not that one) takes Predictions win
- Top ten pictures from the 2013 Bahrain Grand Prix
Image © Ferrari/Ercole Colombo
Eggry (@eggry)
20th April 2013, 10:12
It should be pretty intense for the pole even though I don’t think it’s gonna be one of Ferraris.
Prof Kirk (@prof-kirk)
20th April 2013, 10:12
Force India have rolled up their sleeves
brny666
20th April 2013, 10:21
Nico really should have stayed at Force India. Oh well hindsight is a wonderful if sometimes cruel thing. Hopefully this doesn’t hurt him in the long run.
Dizzy
20th April 2013, 10:23
Regarding Hamilton’s end of session issue with the Left/Rear.
I’d be surprised if a suspension failure would immediately tear the entire tread off a tyre, more likely a tyre failure which broke the suspension.
TMF (@)
20th April 2013, 10:27
It seems everybody can be fast in this Ferrari – the rest of the field might as well accept that they aren’t driving against Alonso but Pat Fry.
puneeth Bharath (@puneethvb)
20th April 2013, 10:29
Dint see Chilton setting the fastest time on a Ferrari.. Maybe I missed something :)
Bruno Golub (@bgolub)
20th April 2013, 10:30
+1
Nomore (@nomore)
20th April 2013, 10:34
+21, + 25, +41
Do you know what are these numbers ?…No no they are not lottery numbers…They are…hmm…how to say “everybody “…
Eggry (@eggry)
20th April 2013, 10:42
Hahaha
Nick (@npf1)
20th April 2013, 10:48
It’s very typical for Alonso and Ferrari to do well at the Tilkedromes. It’s as if they’ve designed the car for the general lines of those tracks and Alonso seems to be incapable of winning on a non-Tilke designed track.
;)
Cyclops_PL (@cyclops_pl)
20th April 2013, 10:56
@npf1
I see what you did there ;)
puneeth Bharath (@puneethvb)
20th April 2013, 10:28
I think Vettel is looking good for pole… His run on the medium component was compromised by traffic otherwise he would have gone quicker… Hope I am wrong :)
Mike Dee (@mike-dee)
20th April 2013, 10:30
Vettel clearly fasted. Just one tenth slower on hards than Alonso on medium.
AmirAnuar (@amiranuar)
20th April 2013, 10:33
is he on hard… i thought he also using soft for that lap time
AmirAnuar (@amiranuar)
20th April 2013, 10:33
sorry medium
Mike Dee (@mike-dee)
20th April 2013, 10:34
No, his last lap was on mediums but he had to abort, so his time on the hards was his fastest.
Chema Carrasco (@chemakal)
20th April 2013, 11:19
Agree. Vettel favourite for pole
Cyclops_PL (@cyclops_pl)
20th April 2013, 10:52
Q3 should be a one man show with Vettel within 0.1 despite setting his time on the harder compound.
HK (@me4me)
20th April 2013, 11:09
What’s up with Massa going slow again. Back to old habits?
Nomore (@nomore)
20th April 2013, 11:17
Fernando is back in form.
Jay Menon (@jaymenon10)
20th April 2013, 11:09
Vettel for Pole…if Webber digs deep it could very well be a front row lock out for the bulls.
Ferrari or Lotus to win the race!
caci99 (@)
20th April 2013, 11:35
Well, Webber unfortunately has a five grid penalty. Even if he gets pole, he will sit six on the grid.
caci99 (@)
20th April 2013, 11:52
to correct my self. Webber has a three grid penalty, so his best position would be 4th on the grid if he gets pole.