Vettel fastest in F1 practice
Vettel posted his best lap with about 25 minutes left in the 90-minute practice session.
MELBOURNE (AFP) - World champion Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull posted the fastest time in Friday s opening practice for this weekend s season-opening Australian Formula One Grand Prix.
The young German, bidding for a fourth consecutive world drivers title, clocked a quickest lap of 1min 27.211sec around Melbourne s Albert Park street circuit to claim the early edge over Ferrari s Felipe Massa and Fernando Alonso.
Vettel was 0.078sec faster than Massa (1:27.289), with last season s world championship runner-up Alonso (1:27.547) third.
It is the first indication of how the cars are faring after inconclusive pre-season testing in Spain. A second practice session is scheduled for later Friday.
Vettel posted his best lap with about 25 minutes left in the 90-minute practice session.
Britain s Lewis Hamilton, driving this season for Mercedes, was fourth fastest, 0.341secs down on Vettel, with Red Bull teammate, Australia s Mark Webber, fifth quickest.
Last year s Melbourne winner Jenson Button struggled in ninth in his McLaren.
As the Pirelli tyres degraded several cars came off the circuit with Massa sliding at Turn 6 and recovering through the gravel.
Britain s Paul Di Resta, driving for Force India, lost control of his car late in the session approaching the same turn.
Di Resta recovered from a stationary position deep into the gravel trap and returned to the track on his way to the pits.
Venezuelan Pastor Maldonado in a Williams ran wide at Turn 5, creating a mini dust cloud but was able to continue.
