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MONTE CARLO, Monaco - Ferrari's Felipe Massa crashed heavily in an accident-strewn final 2013 Monaco Formula 1 GP practice session on Saturday with Nico Rosberg completing a sweep of fastest times for Mercedes.
Massa wrestled with a seemingly unresponsive steering-wheel before locking his brakes and smashing into the steel guardrail on the pits straight.
The Ferrari then plunged nose-first into the energy-absorbing plastic safety barrier at the Devote corner, bringing out red flags with 23 minutes remaining and leaving Massa's mechanics with a major repair job before later qualifying.
HAT TRICK FOR ROSBERG
They were not the only ones handed an increased workload. Force India's Adrian Sutil hit the barrier at Massenet on the rise to Casino Square with 15 minutes remaining.
Rosberg, fastest in both sessions on Thursday - Friday being a rest day - will be chasing a third pole in a row. He completed one hat trick with a quickest lap around the narrow street circuit of 1min14.378. That was 0.661 faster than second-placed Grosjean's best and 0.883 faster than Red Bull's triple Sebastian Vettel in third place.
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was fourth fastest, 0.908 off the pace - but without doing a clean lap on the fastest tyres - ahead of qualifying for a race he has won twice for different teams.
GLAMOUR HIGHLIGHT
Rosberg's team mate Lewis Hamilton was fifth on the time sheets.
Monaco, the glamour highlight of the F1 calendar, is the sixth race of the season. Vettel is leading Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen by four points.
Raikkonen was sixth quickest on a chilly but bright morning with a gusty breeze blowing in from the sea and across the yacht-filled harbour.
Times from 2013 Monaco F1 GP third practice
1 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min14.378
2 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min15.039
3 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min15.261
4 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min15.286
5 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min15.311
6 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min15.380
7 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min15.550
8 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min15.594
9 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min15.861
10 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Sauber 1min15.926
11 Sergio Perez (Mexico) McLaren 1min15.958
12 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min15.976
13 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min15.976
14 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min16.060
15 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India 1min16.068
16 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min16.105
17 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1:16.427
18 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams - 1min16.933
19 Charles Pic (France) Caterham - Renault 1min17.902
20 Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Caterham 1min18.102
21 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 1min18.706
22 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 1min19.228
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2013 Monaco F1 GP weekend.
Massa wrestled with a seemingly unresponsive steering-wheel before locking his brakes and smashing into the steel guardrail on the pits straight.
The Ferrari then plunged nose-first into the energy-absorbing plastic safety barrier at the Devote corner, bringing out red flags with 23 minutes remaining and leaving Massa's mechanics with a major repair job before later qualifying.
HAT TRICK FOR ROSBERG
They were not the only ones handed an increased workload. Force India's Adrian Sutil hit the barrier at Massenet on the rise to Casino Square with 15 minutes remaining.
Rosberg, fastest in both sessions on Thursday - Friday being a rest day - will be chasing a third pole in a row. He completed one hat trick with a quickest lap around the narrow street circuit of 1min14.378. That was 0.661 faster than second-placed Grosjean's best and 0.883 faster than Red Bull's triple Sebastian Vettel in third place.
Ferrari's Fernando Alonso was fourth fastest, 0.908 off the pace - but without doing a clean lap on the fastest tyres - ahead of qualifying for a race he has won twice for different teams.
GLAMOUR HIGHLIGHT
Rosberg's team mate Lewis Hamilton was fifth on the time sheets.
Monaco, the glamour highlight of the F1 calendar, is the sixth race of the season. Vettel is leading Lotus's Kimi Raikkonen by four points.
Raikkonen was sixth quickest on a chilly but bright morning with a gusty breeze blowing in from the sea and across the yacht-filled harbour.
Times from 2013 Monaco F1 GP third practice
1 Nico Rosberg (Germany) Mercedes 1min14.378
2 Romain Grosjean (France) Lotus 1min15.039
3 Sebastian Vettel (Germany) Red Bull 1min15.261
4 Fernando Alonso (Spain) Ferrari 1min15.286
5 Lewis Hamilton (Britain) Mercedes 1min15.311
6 Kimi Raikkonen (Finland) Lotus 1min15.380
7 Mark Webber (Australia) Red Bull 1min15.550
8 Paul Di Resta (Britain) Force India 1min15.594
9 Pastor Maldonado (Venezuela) Williams 1min15.861
10 Nico Hulkenberg (Germany) Sauber 1min15.926
11 Sergio Perez (Mexico) McLaren 1min15.958
12 Jenson Button (Britain) McLaren 1min15.976
13 Jean-Eric Vergne (France) Toro Rosso 1min15.976
14 Daniel Ricciardo (Australia) Toro Rosso 1min16.060
15 Adrian Sutil (Germany) Force India 1min16.068
16 Felipe Massa (Brazil) Ferrari 1min16.105
17 Esteban Gutierrez (Mexico) Sauber 1:16.427
18 Valtteri Bottas (Finland) Williams - 1min16.933
19 Charles Pic (France) Caterham - Renault 1min17.902
20 Giedo van der Garde (Netherlands) Caterham 1min18.102
21 Jules Bianchi (France) Marussia 1min18.706
22 Max Chilton (Britain) Marussia 1min19.228
Stay with Wheels24 for the 2013 Monaco F1 GP weekend.
