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SAKHIR, Bahrain - Lewis Hamilton topped a hat trick of practice sessions on Saturday by lapping fastest in his Mercedes in the third and final session ahead of the 2014 Bahrain Formula 1 GP.
The top six drivers were all in Mercedes-powered cars.
The Briton, top in both Friday sessions, completed 12 laps and was 0.115sec quicker than team mate Nico Rosberg as the pair finished 1-2 for the third practice in a row at Sakhir.
Hamilton, the 2008 champion, can complete another hat trick in qualifying for the third race of the season after taking pole in the first two races of 2014 in Australia and Malaysia.
'SPUN ON TURN 2'
Mercedes was again the class act on a clear and hot afternoon but Red Bull's quadruple F1 champion Sebastian Vettel ended up 21st of 22 drivers on the time sheets after spinning off and bedding down in the gravel.
He said later: "I spun on the exit of Turn 2 and the engine went off immediately," he said later. He walked back to the paddock before the session ended.
Mexican Sergio Perez was third-fastest for Force India with Valtteri Bottas fourth for Williams, the team leaving it late to get its cars out, but ahead of Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa and McLaren's Jenson Button.
The best of the rest was Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, was seventh-fastest.
Qualifying will be in far cooler conditions, with Sunday's race switching to a day-to-night format under floodlights for the first time.
Track temperature in final practice were around 35 degrees.
Final free practice times ahead of the 2014 Bahrain Formula 1 GP
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min35.324
2 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min35.439
3 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India-Mercedes 1min35.868
4 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams-Mercedes 1min36.166
5 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams-Mercedes 1min36.364
6 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min36.394
7 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min36.454
8 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Force India-Mercedes 1min36.455
9 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso-Renault 1min36.680
10 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1min36.772
11 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 1min36.822
12 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso-Renault 1min37.030
13 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull-Renault 1min37.119
14 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber-Ferrari 1min37.325
15 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber-Ferrari 1min38.089
16 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Caterham-Renault 1min38.400
17 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia-Ferrari 1min38.736
18 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus-Renault 1min38.880
19 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham-Renault 1min38.971
20 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus-Renault 1min39.208
21 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull-Renault 1min39.225
22 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia-Ferrari 1min39.597
Full report shortly.
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 Bahrain GP this weekend.
The top six drivers were all in Mercedes-powered cars.
The Briton, top in both Friday sessions, completed 12 laps and was 0.115sec quicker than team mate Nico Rosberg as the pair finished 1-2 for the third practice in a row at Sakhir.
Hamilton, the 2008 champion, can complete another hat trick in qualifying for the third race of the season after taking pole in the first two races of 2014 in Australia and Malaysia.
'SPUN ON TURN 2'
Mercedes was again the class act on a clear and hot afternoon but Red Bull's quadruple F1 champion Sebastian Vettel ended up 21st of 22 drivers on the time sheets after spinning off and bedding down in the gravel.
He said later: "I spun on the exit of Turn 2 and the engine went off immediately," he said later. He walked back to the paddock before the session ended.
Mexican Sergio Perez was third-fastest for Force India with Valtteri Bottas fourth for Williams, the team leaving it late to get its cars out, but ahead of Brazilian team mate Felipe Massa and McLaren's Jenson Button.
The best of the rest was Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, was seventh-fastest.
Qualifying will be in far cooler conditions, with Sunday's race switching to a day-to-night format under floodlights for the first time.
Track temperature in final practice were around 35 degrees.
Final free practice times ahead of the 2014 Bahrain Formula 1 GP
1 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min35.324
2 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min35.439
3 Sergio Perez (Mexico) Force India-Mercedes 1min35.868
4 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams-Mercedes 1min36.166
5 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Williams-Mercedes 1min36.364
6 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min36.394
7 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min36.454
8 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Force India-Mercedes 1min36.455
9 Daniil Kvyat (Russia) Toro Rosso-Renault 1min36.680
10 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Ferrari 1min36.772
11 Kevin Magnussen (Denmark) McLaren 1min36.822
12 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso-Renault 1min37.030
13 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Red Bull-Renault 1min37.119
14 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber-Ferrari 1min37.325
15 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Sauber-Ferrari 1min38.089
16 Kamui Kobayashi (Japan) Caterham-Renault 1min38.400
17 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia-Ferrari 1min38.736
18 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Lotus-Renault 1min38.880
19 Marcus Ericsson (Sweden) Caterham-Renault 1min38.971
20 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus-Renault 1min39.208
21 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull-Renault 1min39.225
22 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia-Ferrari 1min39.597
Full report shortly.
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2014 Bahrain GP this weekend.
