Sebastian Vettel continued to set the pace at the Singapore Grand Prix yesterday, the German Red Bull driver topping the final practice time sheets on a damp Marina Bay circuit.
Vettel set the fastest time in Friday practice and dominated proceedings ahead of qualifying with a 1 minute, 48.028 second lap under the floodlights in downtown Singapore.
Spain’s Fernando Alonso, who won the scandal-tainted inaugural race in 2008, felt at home on the demanding circuit and was second fastest in his Ferrari, edging out McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton.
Felipe Massa was next in the second Ferrari, ahead of Nico Rosberg’s Mercedes and championship leader Mark Webber in the other Red Bull as wet patches left over from an afternoon downpour forced drivers to adopt a conservative approach.
McLaren’s Jenson Button, the reigning world champion and one of five drivers still in with a realistic chance of claiming the world title with five races remaining, labored down in 13th place. He was more than two seconds adrift of Vettel.
Williams also built on Rubens Barrichello’s sixth place on Friday, with teammate Nico Hulkenberg clocking the seventh-fastest time yesterday, although the German will lose five places on the starting grid for an unscheduled gearbox change.
Prior to qualifying, Hispania team principal Colin Kolles scotched talk of takeovers and mergers for the F1 minnow outfit.
A lack of spending and development had renewed speculation that the team would link up with the remnants of the Toyota F1 program, or be involved in a merger or takeover by F1 aspirants Stefan GP or the Durango team under the auspices of former world champion Jacques Villeneuve.
Kolles was indignant when asked about those possibilities.
“I’m really speechless that you believe this speculation,” Kolles said. “Why should I answer you if you mention the name Durango and the people you mentioned? I cannot make any comment because I never spoke to these people.”
Kolles said the team intends to stay with engine supplier Cosworth next season.
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
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