India GP: Vettel tops third practice session

Formula One championship leader Sebastian Vettel looked good for pole position at the Indian Grand Prix on Saturday after completing a practice hat-trick.

The 25-year-old German, six points clear of Ferrari's Fernando Alonso with four races remaining, lapped the Buddh International Circuit in one minute 25.842 seconds, just under two tenths of a second ahead of McLaren's Jenson Button.

Vettel, winner at the Buddh circuit last year, also dominated Friday's first two practice sessions.

Alonso could only manage the seventh fastest lap, with a time almost seven tenths of a second slower than his title rival.

Vettel's team mate Mark Webber finished the session third with a lap less than a tenth off Button's and could help Red Bull claim their third consecutive front-row lockout later on Saturday.

Button's teammate Lewis Hamilton and Lotus driver Kimi Raikkonen rounded out the top five on a sunny but hazy day on the outskirts of India's capital New Delhi.

Photograph: Adnan Abidi / Reuters