Mercedes driver lewis Hamilton got the better of runaway Formula One leader Sebastian Vettel by setting the fastest time in Friday’s practice for the Korean Grand Prix.
Saturday’s qualifying shapes again as being a shootout between Mercedes and Red Bull, with Hamilton’s teammate, Nico Rosberg, and the Red Bulls of Vettel and Mark Webber all within two-tenths of a second of the leading time.
Red Bull and Mercedes have between them taken every front-row grid spot for the past 10 races.
“It’s the first time I can remember that second practice has really gone well for me,” Hamilton said. “We haven’t changed anything but the day just went smoothly and all the processes with the team worked well. I love this track.”
Vettel was less enthusiastic about the day’s work and acknowledged Mercedes looms as a threat to his ambitions for a third straight pole.
“There is some room for improvement,” Vettel said. Vettel has won the past three races, the previous two in Korea, and is zooming toward a fourth successive world title.
Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso, who is in second place in the drivers’ standings — a fading 60 points behind Vettel — was only seventh fastest, seven-tenths of a second off Hamilton’s time, but all season the Italian team has been able to overcome short-run speed deficits and produce a better package on race day.
In the morning session, several drivers ran wide off the unrubbered and dusty surface. Notably, lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen impacted side on with the tire barriers just as the session ended.
The Finn admitted it was his error as he lost control of the car’s rear end, but allayed any fears that it damaged his injured back and declared himself ready to participate in Saturday qualifying.
There was less slipping and sliding in the afternoon session, and Hamilton was able to wipe a second off his best lap from the morning, which also topped that session.
Ferrari and lotus split the next four places behind the top two teams: Ferrari’s Felipe Massa was fifth fastest and Alonso seventh, with lotus’ Romain Grosjean sixth and Raikkonen eighth. Mclaren’s Jenson Button was ninth, and Force India’s Adrian Sutil 10th.
Teams slam 2014 calendar
YEONGAM: Ferrari has slammed next year’s proposed Formula One calendar, saying the schedule is “almost impossible” and has urged authorities to reduce the number of races by at least two.
Ferrari team manager Massimo Rivola said the mid-season sequence of Monaco, New Jersey and Montreal, with only one week’s break between each, would cause a major logistical headache. “It’s going to be almost impossible to do it,” Rivola said.
“To be honest I’m still hoping we come back to the 20 races as per the current sportingregulation. At the moment the calendar is not the best calendar possible. For sure there are some good commercial reasons behind this that I am not aware of.”
The draft calendar for next year includes 22 races, though South Korea, New Jersey and Mexico are listed as provisional.
As well as additional races, next year will see the re-introduction of in-season testing, stretching teams’ staffing levels and cost control. Rivola said the freight and logistical costs are not necessarily easier on the major teams because they have more equipment and people to transport.