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BARCELONA, Spain - Felipe Massa topped the times for Ferrari in Saturday
(May 11) morning's final free practice session ahead of the 2013
Spanish F1 GP.
The 32-year-old Brazilian clocked his fastest lap of 1min21.901 in the final minutes of a closely-contested session run in dry, but gusty and cloudy, conditions at the Circuit de Catalunya.
In front of Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, who arrived to watch the session from his team's pit wall, Massa's lap lifted him 0.006sec clear of nearest rival Finn Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) and ahead of third-placed Australian Mark Webber (Red Bull).
Raikkonen's Lotus team mate Romain Grosjean was fourth ahead of defending triple World champion German Sebastian Vettel and sixth-placed home hero and double World champion Fernando Alonso (Ferrari).
SO CLOSE
The top six were separated by 0.353sec - a clear signal that there is little to choose between them in such changing conditions with the teams all running variable fuel loads.
Briton Paul di Resta, who survived a frightening moment on Friday when his left rear tyre delaminated at high speed, was seventh ahead of Force India team mate Adrian Sutil, Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso).
Hamilton's Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg was 11th ahead of Jenson Button, who continued to struggle in the below-pace McLaren, despite new parts on his car.
The top 11 were covered by less than a second in a session that gave little indication of true potential for Saturday afternoon's qualifying session.
Red Bull team chief Christian Horner said: "It looks very close, but I must say Mark Webber loves it here and, for me, he is the king of the final sector."
"I am expecting a very strong performance from him but Ferrari also looks strong and Alonso is clearly responding to the crowd.
3rd and final free practice for the 2013 Spanish F1GP
1 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min21.901
2 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min21.907
3 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min22.044
4 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min22.069
5 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min22.229
6 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min22.254
7 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min22.574
8 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India 1min22.729
9 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min22.740
10 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min22.759
11 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min22.839
12 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min23.151
13 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1min23.371
14 Sergio Perez (Mexico) McLaren 1min23.373
15 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min23.385
16 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Sauber 1min23.388
17 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 1min23.660
18 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min23.767
19 Charles Pic (France) Caterham 1min24.775
20 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 1min24.793
21 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 1min25.135
22 Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Caterham 1min25.250
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2013 Formula 1 season – fresh reports every day.
The 32-year-old Brazilian clocked his fastest lap of 1min21.901 in the final minutes of a closely-contested session run in dry, but gusty and cloudy, conditions at the Circuit de Catalunya.
In front of Ferrari president Luca di Montezemolo, who arrived to watch the session from his team's pit wall, Massa's lap lifted him 0.006sec clear of nearest rival Finn Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus) and ahead of third-placed Australian Mark Webber (Red Bull).
Raikkonen's Lotus team mate Romain Grosjean was fourth ahead of defending triple World champion German Sebastian Vettel and sixth-placed home hero and double World champion Fernando Alonso (Ferrari).
SO CLOSE
The top six were separated by 0.353sec - a clear signal that there is little to choose between them in such changing conditions with the teams all running variable fuel loads.
Briton Paul di Resta, who survived a frightening moment on Friday when his left rear tyre delaminated at high speed, was seventh ahead of Force India team mate Adrian Sutil, Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and Jean-Eric Vergne (Toro Rosso).
Hamilton's Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg was 11th ahead of Jenson Button, who continued to struggle in the below-pace McLaren, despite new parts on his car.
The top 11 were covered by less than a second in a session that gave little indication of true potential for Saturday afternoon's qualifying session.
Red Bull team chief Christian Horner said: "It looks very close, but I must say Mark Webber loves it here and, for me, he is the king of the final sector."
"I am expecting a very strong performance from him but Ferrari also looks strong and Alonso is clearly responding to the crowd.
3rd and final free practice for the 2013 Spanish F1GP
1 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min21.901
2 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min21.907
3 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min22.044
4 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min22.069
5 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min22.229
6 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min22.254
7 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min22.574
8 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India 1min22.729
9 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min22.740
10 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min22.759
11 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min22.839
12 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min23.151
13 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1min23.371
14 Sergio Perez (Mexico) McLaren 1min23.373
15 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min23.385
16 Nico Huelkenberg (Germany) Sauber 1min23.388
17 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams 1min23.660
18 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min23.767
19 Charles Pic (France) Caterham 1min24.775
20 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 1min24.793
21 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 1min25.135
22 Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Caterham 1min25.250
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2013 Formula 1 season – fresh reports every day.