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The final practice session for
the 2014 Canadian Grand Prix would see the Williams Martini team produce a
positive result with both drivers in the top ten. Felipe Massa would finish
in sixth and team-mate Valtteri Bottas seventh. Now it was the final
practice session before the all important qualifying. Quickest after Friday
were the Mercedes pair but the Williams drivers were both closer than in
previous races. The final practice would be run under sunny conditions as
the first of the cars came out onto the track. For Williams Felipe was first
out followed shortly after by Valtteri. For the session the drivers would
have the soft and super soft tyre to choose from.
Felipe would pit after a single lap with Valtteri also coming in. With five
minutes of the session completed both McLaren's had yet to come out along
with Hamilton. But Magnussen would take to the track as Gutierrez would go
off at Turn ten but was able to continue. Hamilton would also come in
leaving just Button still yet to do his installation lap. Magnussen would
stay out and set the first time with a 1m:20.953. The only other car on the
track was that of Ericsson. Magnussen would improve with a 1m:18.325 and
Ericsson would set a 1m:26.545. More drivers would come out including Sutil,
Bianchi, Kvyat, Gutierrez, Hulkenberg and Button. A 1m:23.937 from Ericsson
as Magnussen continued to put in laps.
A 1m:22.291 from Ericsson with Gutierrez now third, followed by Sutil and
Kvyat. Both Lotus cars were out on the track as Hulkenberg set a 1m:19.561
to be second. But Kvyat and Sutil would move up to second and third with
Hulkenberg fourth. But Hulkenberg was able to improve to again be second,
1m;18.372. Both Williams cars were now out on the track as Magnussen pitted.
But Gutierrez would crash his car at Turn three. He would spin his car
hitting the wall on the outside of top four. This would see the session red
flagged seeing the track clear. Only eight drivers had set times with it
shown that Gutierrez's Sauber was badly damaged mainly at the rear. The
session would re-start with a rush of drivers coming out including both
Williams cars. Perez would set his first time to be third with a 1m:18.676.
Raikkonen was sixth followed by Grosjean, Rosberg, and Button. Kvyat would
improve to return to third with a 1m:18.550.
But Perez would also find time going fastest with a 1m:18.179. Button was
now fourth, 1m:18.415, with Valtteri now tenth with a 1m:19.006. Felipe was
down in fifteenth after his first lap but on his next lap he would finish in
second, 1m:17.502, to be behind Hamilton who had gone fastest with a
1m:17.492. No drivers would go quicker with Alonso fastest, 1m:17.259, from
Raikkonen but Hamilton would again improve with a 1m:16.760 to be quickest.
Rosberg would move to fourth seeing Felipe fifth with Valtteri also having
found time to be sixth, 1m:17.520. Felipe would also improve to set a
1m:17.167 to be second. Vettel was down in fifteenth as Valtteri also found
time to be third, 1m:17.129. Both Ferrari's had pitted as
Hamilton set a 1m:16.186 to remain fastest but having extended his lead over
Felipe to 0.618 seconds. With just under thirty minutes remaining Valtteri
would pit while at the front Rosberg would move ahead of Hamilton with a
1m:16.128.
Felipe would also pit with Ricciardo now seventh with a 1m:17.604. Team-mate
Vettel was now eighth followed by Hulkenberg and Button. Hamilton would go
fastest in sector one and two. He would complete his lap setting a 1m:15.610
to be over half a second ahead of Rosberg. Ricciardo moved in sixth to be
between the two Ferrari's. Magnussen had spun at Turn two but was able to
continue. Valtteri would come back out still on his soft tyres with the
Williams pair still third and fourth with twenty minutes remaining. The firs
to go on the super soft tyre would be Raikkonen as Ricciardo moved up to
fourth, 1m:17.111, then he would pit. On the option tyre Raikkonen would
move up to third with a 1m:16.528. There was only a handful of drivers on
the track with Valtteri pitting after a few laps. With fourteen minutes
remaining only Raikkonen had used the option tyre. Several drivers were
having troubles at Turn eight including Magnussen, Grosjean, and Perez.
Alonso, Hulkenberg, and Rosberg would come back out on the supersoft tyre
followed by Hamilton. With ten minutes remaining the track was going to be
very busy as everyone put in their qualifying simulations. Hulkenberg was
now sixth with a 1m:16.944 while Alonso would set a 1m:16.488 as Valtteri
would come back out on the option tyre. Felipe and Ricciardo would also come out with eight
minutes remaining. Raikkonen was fourth and in his pit. Drivers further down
the times had also come out on the option tyre while at the front Hamilton
would go fastest in sector two. Vergne would use the option tyres to move up
to sixth, 1m:16.894. On his lap Valtteri would set a 1m:16.709 to be fifth
behind the Ferrari's. Felipe would show even more pace to now be third with
a time of 1m:16.413. Alonso would pit joining Raikkonen but his stop in the
pits would be brief. Kobayashi would stop his car at Turn ten with his car
moved out of the way.
Ricciardo was now fifth, 1m:16.504. Hamilton would pit with the order
Hamilton from Rosberg, Felipe, Alonso, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Valtteri,
Kvyat, Vergne, and Vettel in tenth. For Williams Felipe would improve with a
1m:16.086 to be second splitting the Mercedes cars. Valtteri would pit as
the session came to a close. So with the end of the session the Williams
team would see one of their cars in second. A fantastic result for the team
as they think about qualifying later in the day. Valtteri would finish in
seventh but he was over half a second off Felipe's pace. Both drivers would
complete pit stops on their return to their pits. It was looking likely that
both Williams drivers would make it into the final period of qualifying but
it was now all down to how close to the front that can put their cars. |
