Vettel has mustered just one victory so far this campaign, and that way back
in April in Bahrain, since when has been clinging on in the championship
race.
In particular two alternator failures in Valencia and last time out in Italy
have seriously undermined his hopes, casting him 39 points adrift of the
championship leader in Ferrari’s Fernando Alonso.
The Spaniard had to settle for third fastest, just over half a second behind
Vettel, whose team-mate Mark Webber was fourth, 0.624secs off the pace.
As for Hamilton, quickest early on and who set the initial pace on the
supersoft rubber, the 27-year-old was three quarters of a second down in
fifth.
Force India duo Paul Di Resta and Nico Hulkenberg, who gave wind the
Silverstone-based team were on the rise on Italy, again look strong on this
track.
The duo, a fraction under a second behind Vettel, were split by just
0.039secs, with Di Resta just getting the edge on his German team-mate.
Another German in Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg was eighth quickest ahead of
Ferrari’s Felipe Massa and the Lotus of Romain Grosjean, with Michael
Schumacher in 11th and almost two seconds adrift in his Mercedes.
As for Kimi Raikkonen, in the hunt for the title at 38 points behind Alonso
even though he has yet to win a race this season, the Finn is seemingly in
no man’s land at present on this circuit, finishing two seconds down on
Vettel.
Williams’ Bruno Senna was the only casualty of the two sessions, clipping a
wall and spinning, causing a red flag and an eight-minute delay.