Vettel puts Ferrari on top in final Abu Dhabi practice

Sebastian Vettel has three wins at Abu Dhabi

Sebastian Vettel turned the fastest lap on ultrasoft tires to top the third and final practice session for the Abu Dhabi GP at Yas Marina. Max Verstappen was 2nd for Red Bull, 0.137s behind the German and just ahead of the 2nd Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen.

Championship title contenders Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg rounded out the top-5 for Mercedes, a position they have not been in all season. Hamilton must finish at least 3rd if he has any chance of winning the title, regardless of where Rosberg finishes.

"You need to check these brakes," Hamilton told Mercedes. "I keep on getting an issue – the front right isn't working properly."

Can Vettel, Ferrari or Red Bull repeat the feat when it matters in qualifying? The German has an unparalleled record here in Abu Dhabi – something else for Mercedes to think about?

Both Ferrari drivers made two qualifying simulation runs on Pirelli’s ultrasoft tires, but interestingly Verstappen made only one, as did Hamilton and Rosberg.

Daniel Ricciardo was sixth in the second Red Bull, ahead of Force India duo Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg. Williams’ Valtteri Bottas and Haas’s Esteban Gutierrez completed the top ten.

After Verstappen and team mate Ricciardo had set the early pace on the supersoft rubber, with 1m 42.461s and 1m 42.609s, Hamilton went to the top with 1m 42.120s on the same compound, with Rosberg fourth on 1m 42.695s.

As Ricciardo improved to 1m 42.401s for second, Hamilton complained of power loss which was traced to a harmless but unexpected engine de-rate.

Hamilton only did one simulation run on the ultrasofts so he is keeping his gun powder dry for qualifying and the race

After Rosberg improved to 1m 42.176s, Vettel took over at the top with a lap of 1m 41.957s on the ultrasofts before Hamilton went to the front with 1m 41.065s to Rosberg’s 1m 41.168s on the purple-banded tires. Later, however, Vettel took back the top spot with a best of 1m 40.775s, half a second off Rosberg’s 2015 pole time and his own 2009 lap record.

Verstappen did his sole run on the ultrasofts at the end, by which time the Mercedes were doing race work, and jumped to second on 1m 40.912s as Raikkonen also overtook the Silver Arrows with 1m 40.999s.

Hamilton had complained of poor brakes during his run and never set a fastest sector time, and took fourth place with his 1m 41.065s, but clearly had potential to go quicker, as did Rosberg who ended up fifth ahead of Ricciardo who only did 1m 41.831s after another unrepresentative run. That means qualifying will almost certainly see a different order to the top six.

Perez and Hulkenberg took Force India to seventh and eighth with 1m 41.885s and 1m 42.067s apiece, as Bottas put his Williams ninth and Gutierrez surprised everyone with 10th for Haas on 1m 42.354s ahead of McLaren’s Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button, who sandwiched Renault’s Jolyon Palmer.

Williams’ Felipe Massa was only 14th after a spin in Turn 6, and Carlos Sainz 18th after a spin in Turn 18. The Toro Rossos were still looking worried about their rear rims as they operated under the eyes of FIA safety checks following Friday’s problems, and Daniil Kvyat was only 21st.

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