Vettel tops Abu Dhabi GP practice

November 02, 2012 08:37 pm | Updated 08:37 pm IST - Abu Dhabi

Sebastian Vettel was unstoppable under the floodlights as the Formula One championship leader dominated Friday practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix while title rival Fernando Alonso was seventh.

After coming third in the mid-day session, Vettel posted 1 minute 41.751 seconds on the 5.554-kilometres Yas Marina course in his Red Bull.

The German leapfrogged the McLarens who had topped the first session time sheets, leaving only second for the 2011 race winner Lewis Hamilton (1:41.919) and third for Jenson Button (1:42.412).

Alonso came seventh in 1:42.587 to go with fourth earlier in the day, as Mark Webber in the second Red Bull and the Lotus duo of Kimi Raikkonen and Romain Grosjean were also faster than the Ferrari driver.

Vettel has turned a 39-point deficit on Alonso into a 13-point lead by winning the last four races, in Singapore, Japan, South Korea and India. Hamilton, Raikkonen and Webber have only a mathematical title chance with three races left.

Vettel has led every lap of the last three races as he eyes a third straight world title. He won the first two editions of the Abu Dhabi race in 2009 and 2010, the latter the season-ender.

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