views
Abu Dhabi: Nico Rosberg edged title rival Lewis Hamilton in the third practice session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix ahead of qualifying later on Saturday.
The Mercedes team-mates were 1-2 in Friday's practice runs, with Hamilton fastest in both of those, but this time the German driver turned the tables with a best lap of 1 minute, 41.424 seconds. Hamilton was 0.369 behind.
Brazilian driver Felipe Massa was third quickest for Williams, one second slower than Rosberg, while Fernando Alonso placed 1.229 behind in fourth as he prepares for his last race with Ferrari.
Four-time defending champion Sebastian Vettel, who is replacing Alonso at Ferrari next season, clocked the fifth quickest time in his final weekend with Red Bull.
Red Bull placed a giant sticker on the garage floor which said "Danke Seb!" ("Thanks Seb!") in recognition of his efforts.
Hamilton leads Rosberg by 17 points overall with double points on offer in Sunday's race, meaning a win is worth 50.
Although Hamilton leads Rosberg 10-5 in race wins, his German team-mate has earned 10 pole positions this season compared to seven for the Briton. Mercedes has been 1-2 on the grid in 17 of 18 races - and has clinched three of the past four pole positions.
Massa briefly had the fastest time as the front-runners switched to super-soft tires, but Rosberg and Hamilton soon surged back into the top two.
However, Massa's speed could be an encouraging sign for Rosberg, who can win the title if he clinches victory and Hamilton finishes third.
On Thursday, Rosberg spoke optimistically about how he hoped a Williams car would lodge in between him and Hamilton on Sunday.
Alonso, meanwhile, went back to the garage early to get his engine changed.
Comments
0 comment