Red Bull dominate first practice in Hungary

Posted at 12:00am on 30 July 2010

By Alan Baldwin

BUDAPEST, July 30 (Reuters) - Red Bull were in a league of their own in first free practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix on Friday with Sebastian Vettel and Mark Webber filling the top two places.

Germany's Vettel, who will be chasing his fourth pole in a row on Saturday and seventh of the season, was the quickest man on track with a best time of one minute 20.976 seconds in warm conditions, while Australian team mate Webber was 0.130 slower.

Poland's Robert Kubica, preparing for the nearest thing to a home race, was third on the timesheets for Renault but 1.096 off Vettel's time.

Red Bull have started 10 of the 11 races so far on pole position but have failed to convert that advantage in qualifying into regular race day success.

Vettel has won twice and Webber three times but McLaren are leading both Formula One championships with Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button.

World champion Button, who took his first grand prix win with Honda in Hungary in 2006, was fourth fastest while overall leader Hamilton was 18th.

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, a controversial winner in Hockenheim last weekend after team mate Felipe Massa was instructed to let him pass for victory, was seventh fastest while Massa was 12th.

Massa was back on track at the Hungaroring for the first time since he suffered near-fatal head injuries in qualifying for last year's race.

The Brazilian wasted no time in getting back, completing the first timed lap of the session. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin; Editing by John O'Brien; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

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