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GREATER NOIDA, India - Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel completed a practice hat-trick on October 27 with the fastest time in a smog-shortened final session before qualifying for a race expected to bring him a fourth successive Formula 1 title - the 2013 Indian GP.
Vettel lapped the Buddh International Circuit with a best time of 1min25.332 seconds, a whopping half a second quicker than team mate Mark Webber in second place.
SESSION DELAYED
The lap, only fractionally slower than 2012's pole position time of 1min25.283, meant Vettel had topped all three practice sessions - as he did in 2012 before going on to win from pole.
Red Bull, who can wrap up their fourth consecutive constructors' title on October 27 2013, have also been one-two in all three.
The session was delayed by 20 minutes due to smoggy haze shrouding the circuit, built on farmland to the south-east of New Delhi, that prevented the medical helicopter from operating in the case of emergency.
A truncated 40 minute session finally started with a flurry of activity.
The problems echoed those experienced by MotoGP in Japan, where practice for the penultimate round of that championship had to be cancelled due to rain and fog grounding medical helicopters.
MECHANIC STRUCK DOWN
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, the only man who can deny Vettel the title on Sunday providing he finishes in the top two positions, was third fastest with a lap of 1min26.105.
Alonso is 90 points behind Vettel with a maximum 100 still to be won. Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg was fourth fastest ahead of Romain Grosjean in the Lotus.
Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez hit a kerb hard and his car was launched momentarily into the air before hitting the asphalt hard. Hulkenberg also clipped one of his mechanics, who was knocked over but appeared unhurt, in the pit lane.
2013 Indian Grand Prix at Buddh International circuit:
Third practice session
1 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min25.332
2 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min25.892
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min26.105
4 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Sauber 1min26.306
5 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min26.350
6 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min26.435
7 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min26.438
8 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min26.441
9 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min26.489
10 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min26.557
11 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min26.635
12 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min26.641
13 Sergio Perez (Mexico) McLaren 1min26.737
14 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India 1min26.847
15 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min26.876
16 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 1min26.883
17 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min27.259
18 Charles Pic (France) Caterham 1min27.941
19 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1min28.019
20 Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Caterham 1min28.498
21 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 1min29.094
22 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 1min29.169
Second practice:
1 Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull 1min25.722
2 Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull 1min26.011
3 Romain Grosjean (FRA) Lotus 1min26.220
4 Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes 1min26.399
5 Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari 1min26.430
6 Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes 1min26.582
7 Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 1min26.601
8 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Lotus 1min26.632
9 Sergio Perez (MEX) McLaren 1min26.857
10 Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren 1min26.972
11 Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Toro Rosso 1min27.304
12 Adrian Sutil (GER) Force India 1min27.375
13 Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Williams 1min27.429
14 Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Sauber 1min27.491
15 Paul Di Resta (GBR) Force India 1min27.608
16 Pastor Maldonado (VEN) Williams 1min27.720
17 Esteban Gutierrez (MEX) Sauber 1min27.949
18 Jean-Eric Vergne (FRA) Toro Rosso 1min28.431
19 Giedo van der Garde (NED) Caterham 1min28.692
20 Jules Bianchi (FRA) Marussia 1min28.799
21 Charles Pic (FRA) Caterham 1min29.366
22 Max Chilton (GBR) Marussia 1min30.164
First practice session
1. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min26.683
2. Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min26.871
3. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min26.899
4. Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min26.990
5. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min27.227
6. Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min27.335
7. Sergio Perez (Mexico) McLaren 1min27.416
8. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min27.692
9. Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Sauber 1min27.770
10. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 1min27.800
11. Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min28.035
12. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min28.214
13. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min28.336
14. Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min28.342
15. Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India 1min28.468
16. Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1min28.538
17. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min28.730
18. James Calado (Britain) Force India 1min29.197
19. Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Caterham 1min29.413
20. Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 1min29.560
21. Charles Pic (France) Caterham 1min30.026
22. Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 1min30.471
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2013 Indian GP weekend.
Vettel lapped the Buddh International Circuit with a best time of 1min25.332 seconds, a whopping half a second quicker than team mate Mark Webber in second place.
SESSION DELAYED
The lap, only fractionally slower than 2012's pole position time of 1min25.283, meant Vettel had topped all three practice sessions - as he did in 2012 before going on to win from pole.
Red Bull, who can wrap up their fourth consecutive constructors' title on October 27 2013, have also been one-two in all three.
The session was delayed by 20 minutes due to smoggy haze shrouding the circuit, built on farmland to the south-east of New Delhi, that prevented the medical helicopter from operating in the case of emergency.
A truncated 40 minute session finally started with a flurry of activity.
The problems echoed those experienced by MotoGP in Japan, where practice for the penultimate round of that championship had to be cancelled due to rain and fog grounding medical helicopters.
MECHANIC STRUCK DOWN
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, the only man who can deny Vettel the title on Sunday providing he finishes in the top two positions, was third fastest with a lap of 1min26.105.
Alonso is 90 points behind Vettel with a maximum 100 still to be won. Sauber's Nico Hulkenberg was fourth fastest ahead of Romain Grosjean in the Lotus.
Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez hit a kerb hard and his car was launched momentarily into the air before hitting the asphalt hard. Hulkenberg also clipped one of his mechanics, who was knocked over but appeared unhurt, in the pit lane.
2013 Indian Grand Prix at Buddh International circuit:
Third practice session
1 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min25.332
2 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min25.892
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min26.105
4 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Sauber 1min26.306
5 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min26.350
6 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min26.435
7 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min26.438
8 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min26.441
9 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min26.489
10 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min26.557
11 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min26.635
12 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min26.641
13 Sergio Perez (Mexico) McLaren 1min26.737
14 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India 1min26.847
15 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min26.876
16 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 1min26.883
17 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min27.259
18 Charles Pic (France) Caterham 1min27.941
19 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1min28.019
20 Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Caterham 1min28.498
21 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 1min29.094
22 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 1min29.169
Second practice:
1 Sebastian Vettel (GER) Red Bull 1min25.722
2 Mark Webber (AUS) Red Bull 1min26.011
3 Romain Grosjean (FRA) Lotus 1min26.220
4 Lewis Hamilton (GBR) Mercedes 1min26.399
5 Fernando Alonso (ESP) Ferrari 1min26.430
6 Nico Rosberg (GER) Mercedes 1min26.582
7 Felipe Massa (BRA) Ferrari 1min26.601
8 Kimi Raikkonen (FIN) Lotus 1min26.632
9 Sergio Perez (MEX) McLaren 1min26.857
10 Jenson Button (GBR) McLaren 1min26.972
11 Daniel Ricciardo (AUS) Toro Rosso 1min27.304
12 Adrian Sutil (GER) Force India 1min27.375
13 Valtteri Bottas (FIN) Williams 1min27.429
14 Nico Hulkenberg (GER) Sauber 1min27.491
15 Paul Di Resta (GBR) Force India 1min27.608
16 Pastor Maldonado (VEN) Williams 1min27.720
17 Esteban Gutierrez (MEX) Sauber 1min27.949
18 Jean-Eric Vergne (FRA) Toro Rosso 1min28.431
19 Giedo van der Garde (NED) Caterham 1min28.692
20 Jules Bianchi (FRA) Marussia 1min28.799
21 Charles Pic (FRA) Caterham 1min29.366
22 Max Chilton (GBR) Marussia 1min30.164
First practice session
1. Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min26.683
2. Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min26.871
3. Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min26.899
4. Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min26.990
5. Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min27.227
6. Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min27.335
7. Sergio Perez (Mexico) McLaren 1min27.416
8. Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min27.692
9. Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Sauber 1min27.770
10. Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 1min27.800
11. Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min28.035
12. Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min28.214
13. Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min28.336
14. Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min28.342
15. Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India 1min28.468
16. Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1min28.538
17. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min28.730
18. James Calado (Britain) Force India 1min29.197
19. Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Caterham 1min29.413
20. Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 1min29.560
21. Charles Pic (France) Caterham 1min30.026
22. Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 1min30.471
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2013 Indian GP weekend.