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GREATER NOIDA, India - Sebastian Vettel picked up where he left off during the first practice session by setting the quickest time during the second free practice ahead of the Indian Grand Prix.
Vettel, who leads Ferrari's Fernando Alonso by six points with four races remaining, was quickest in both practice sessions.
Vettel set a best time of one minute 27.619s during the first session and set a time of 1min26.221s in the second.
The latter time was comfortably inside his race lap record of 1min27.249s set in 2011.
Vettel's team mate Mark Webber was second fastest while Alonso was third quickest in both sessions.
The top three in first practice were in the same order as the 2011 podium finishers at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, which Vettel dominated after having already clinched his second championship.
MASSA'S 'STRANGE BALANCE'
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton was sixth and was told by his team that he was "the fastest guy on high fuel".
Kimi Raikkonen, third in the championship with Lotus, improved from 10th to fifth fastest on the track.
Alonso's team mate Felipe Massa had two spins during the second session, nudging an advertising board while trying to extricate himself from the runoff.
Massa complained of a "strange balance" in the car.
Ferrari, whose wind tunnel data has let them down in 2012, were trying out updated rear and front wings that they hope will help Alonso take the fight to Vettel.
Rookie Esteban Gutierrez replaced compatriot Sergio Perez at Sauber for the first session, after the regular race driver was reported to be unwell, and was 20th.
Gutierrez is widely expected to replace Perez in 2013.
2012 Indian Grand Prix: Second pratice session times
1 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min26.221
2 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min26.339
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min26.820
4 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min27.022
5 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min27.030
6 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1min27.131
7 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min27.182
8 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min27.233
9 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min27.397
10 Bruno Senna (Brazil) Williams 1min27.738
11 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min28.004
12 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Sauber 1min28.178
13 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes 1min28.222
14 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min28.239
15 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min28.296
16 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber 1min28.455
17 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min28.596
18 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min29.167
19 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Caterham 1min29.320
20 Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Caterham 1min29.606
21 Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) HRT 1min30.950
22 Timo Glock (Germany) Marussia 1min31.113
23 Narain Karthikeyan (India) HRT 1min31.372
24 Charles Pic (France) Marussia 1min31.493
First practice session results
1 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min27.619
2 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min27.929
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min28.044
4 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1min28.046
5 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min28.175
6 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min28.447
7 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min28.542
8 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes 1min28.993
9 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min29.204
10 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min29.291
11 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 1min29.691
12 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min29.760
13 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber 1min29.802
14 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min29.850
15 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min29.895
16 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min30.041
17 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min30.401
18 Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Caterham 1min30.630
19 Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Caterham 1min30.896
20 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1min31.212
21 Charles Pic (France) Marussia 1min31.903
22 Narain Karthikeyan (India) HRT 1min32.125
23 Timo Glock (Germany) Marussia 1min32.369
24 Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) HRT 1min32.859
Stay with Wheels24 for the Indian Grand Prix weekend.
Vettel, who leads Ferrari's Fernando Alonso by six points with four races remaining, was quickest in both practice sessions.
Vettel set a best time of one minute 27.619s during the first session and set a time of 1min26.221s in the second.
The latter time was comfortably inside his race lap record of 1min27.249s set in 2011.
Vettel's team mate Mark Webber was second fastest while Alonso was third quickest in both sessions.
The top three in first practice were in the same order as the 2011 podium finishers at the inaugural Indian Grand Prix, which Vettel dominated after having already clinched his second championship.
MASSA'S 'STRANGE BALANCE'
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton was sixth and was told by his team that he was "the fastest guy on high fuel".
Kimi Raikkonen, third in the championship with Lotus, improved from 10th to fifth fastest on the track.
Alonso's team mate Felipe Massa had two spins during the second session, nudging an advertising board while trying to extricate himself from the runoff.
Massa complained of a "strange balance" in the car.
Ferrari, whose wind tunnel data has let them down in 2012, were trying out updated rear and front wings that they hope will help Alonso take the fight to Vettel.
Rookie Esteban Gutierrez replaced compatriot Sergio Perez at Sauber for the first session, after the regular race driver was reported to be unwell, and was 20th.
Gutierrez is widely expected to replace Perez in 2013.
2012 Indian Grand Prix: Second pratice session times
1 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min26.221
2 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min26.339
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min26.820
4 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min27.022
5 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min27.030
6 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1min27.131
7 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min27.182
8 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min27.233
9 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min27.397
10 Bruno Senna (Brazil) Williams 1min27.738
11 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min28.004
12 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Sauber 1min28.178
13 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes 1min28.222
14 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min28.239
15 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min28.296
16 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber 1min28.455
17 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min28.596
18 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min29.167
19 Heikki Kovalainen (Finland) Caterham 1min29.320
20 Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Caterham 1min29.606
21 Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) HRT 1min30.950
22 Timo Glock (Germany) Marussia 1min31.113
23 Narain Karthikeyan (India) HRT 1min31.372
24 Charles Pic (France) Marussia 1min31.493
First practice session results
1 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min27.619
2 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min27.929
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min28.044
4 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) McLaren 1min28.046
5 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min28.175
6 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min28.447
7 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min28.542
8 Michael Schumacher (Germany) Mercedes 1min28.993
9 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min29.204
10 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min29.291
11 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 1min29.691
12 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min29.760
13 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Sauber 1min29.802
14 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Force India 1min29.850
15 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min29.895
16 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min30.041
17 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min30.401
18 Vitaly Petrov (Russia) Caterham 1min30.630
19 Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Caterham 1min30.896
20 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1min31.212
21 Charles Pic (France) Marussia 1min31.903
22 Narain Karthikeyan (India) HRT 1min32.125
23 Timo Glock (Germany) Marussia 1min32.369
24 Pedro de la Rosa (Spain) HRT 1min32.859
Stay with Wheels24 for the Indian Grand Prix weekend.