Sakhir, Bahrain: Nico Rosberg looks to be the driver to beat in qualifying after posting the fastest time in final practice on Saturday at the Bahrain Grand Prix where security remains tight amid expectations of further anti-government protests.
Rosberg, who won the Chinese Grand Prix last week for his first Formula One victory, clocked 1 minute, 33.254 seconds in his Mercedes around the 5.4-kilometre Bahrain International Circuit. That was 0.147 seconds quicker than two-time world champion Sebastian Vettel and 0.409 seconds better than Vettel's Red Bull teammate Mark Webber.
McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, who was fastest in first practice, settled for fourth. Ferrari's troubles continued with Fernando Alonso finishing 10th and Felipe Massa 16th.
Pastor Maldonado of Williams was penalized five grid places for Sunday's race after needing a new gearbox. He finished down in 11th in final practice as drivers struggled with tough conditions on the track, with temperatures reaching 40 degrees Celsius and winds whipping up sand from the surrounding desert. The heat on the track was especially hard on tyres, with several drivers wearing them down quicker than expected....
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02:55 PM, Apr 21, 2012
Melbourne: McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton set the fastest time in Saturday's final practice for Formula One's season-opening Australian Grand Prix, as two of the sport's biggest stars had session-ending spins. Hamilton edged Lotus' Romain Grosjean by just eight hundredths of a second in the pre-qualifying session, with Red Bull's Mark Webber third fastest and McLaren's Jenson Button fourth. Webber's teammate and reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel had his session cut...
10:33 AM, Mar 17, 2012
