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Suzuka: Rosberg top in Practice 3

SUZUKA, Japan - Third free practice at Suzuka on Saturday (Oct 4) was another Mercedes anti-climatic 1-2, the result dampened by the news that Sebastian Vettel will quit Red Bull at the end of the season.

Hamilton was lucky to be so far up in the times: he crashed into the tyre wall at Turn 1 with about nine minutes to go after going wide and on to the green stuff while at the top of the time sheets.

He was followed by both Lotus drivers, Pastor Maldonado and Romain Grosjean, at exactly the same place shortly afterwards but both braked before reaching the tyre wall.

VETTEL ONLY 15TH

Fernando Alonso - the driver that pits-lane speculation says will be replaced by Vettel in 2015 - was third-fastest, followed by the two Williams' cars driven by Felipe Massa and then Valtteri Bottas in that order.

Vettel finished only 15th and more than a second off Rosberg's time.

  • Full story shortly, quallifying later in the morning.

Third free-practice times ahead of 2014 Japanese F1 GP
1 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min33.228
2 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min34.210
3 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min34.439
4 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams-Mercedes 1min34.564
5 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams-Mercedes 1min35.061
6 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull - Renault 1min35.086
7 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 1min35.251
8 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso - Renault 1min35.494
9 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso - Renault 1min35.538
10 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min35.549
11 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Force India - Mercedes 1min35.732
12 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1min35.995
13 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India - Mercedes 1min36.365
14 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber - Ferrari 1min36.407
15 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull - Renault 1min36.460
16 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus - Renault 1min36.558
17 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus - Renault 1min36.617
18 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber - Ferrari 1min36.626
19 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham - Renault 1min37.367
20 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia - Ferrari 1min37.883
21 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia - Ferrari 1min38.102
22 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Caterham - Renault 1min38.784

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