Webber sets pace at Silverstone practice

Formula One: Mark Webber is ready to spark a relationship with an old flame of team-mate Sebastian Vettel after topping today…

Formula One:Mark Webber is ready to spark a relationship with an old flame of team-mate Sebastian Vettel after topping today's second practice session for the British Grand Prix.

Following his spectacular accident in the European Grand Prix 12 days ago, Webber is now using a chassis formerly used by Vettel, one he had nicknamed 'Luscious Liz'.

The 23-year-old German has developed a habit of giving girls' names to his cars, with his latest being 'Randy Mandy'.

Vettel was forced to settle for the third quickest time of the two 90-minute sessions at a scorching, new-look Silverstone as temperatures hit 27 degrees centigrade.

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Although Vettel was fastest in the morning, Webber led the way in 'Luscious Liz' in the afternoon with a time of one minute 31.234secs as he comfortably beat Ferrari's Fernando Alonso into second by 0.4secs.

That was despite the Australian being consigned to the garage for the final 20 minutes of the session with an electrical problem.

Vettel, who was 0.641secs off the pace, laughed off suggestions his old car was being unfaithful.

"I don't know if he (Webber) gives names to his cars, but it's an exclusive right, so it's only valid for me," said Vettel.

Behind Vettel came the second Ferrari of Felipe Massa as he and Spaniard Alonso dramatically improved on their morning showing in which they were 13th and 17th.

Mercedes' Nico Rosberg also finished within a second of Webber in fifth, the only other driver to do so, with team-mate Michael Schumacher half-a-second adrift of his German compatriot in sixth.

For once Renault's Vitaly Petrov managed to get the better of his team-mate Robert Kubica, with the Russian seventh quickest, 1.5secs behind Webber.

With the pit-straight grandstand virtually full, many supporters of Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button will have left wondering whether their heroes are in the hunt for victory on Sunday.

Hamilton was eighth, 1.523secs adrift, with Button two seconds down in 13th, suggesting they are either sandbagging or the big update on their car is not working as planned.

The McLaren duo are running on their cars the team's version of the exhaust blown diffuser that has proven so successful for Red Bull this season with the team claiming eight poles from nine races.

Hamilton, in particular, struggled as twice he took a short cut across the grass as he momentarily lost control of his car.

In the morning Hamilton had endured problems at Abbey turn that now hurtles right into the new Arena complex developed for this year at a cost of £5million.

Where the old asphalt meets the new there is now a significant bump that caught Hamilton out on two separate occasions.

The Force India duo of Adrian Sutil and Vitantonio Liuzzi were ninth and 15th, the latter replacing Paul di Resta in the second session after the Scot had enjoyed another run out in the first.

Sakon Yamamoto, who has surprisingly replaced Bruno Senna at Hispania Racing for this weekend, again struggled as he was 23rd and seven seconds adrift.

Lotus' Jarno Trulli, who had been forced to make way for reserve driver Fairuz Fauzy in the morning, managed just three laps in the afternoon due to technical problems and finished 11 seconds down.

Times

01. Webber Red Bull-Renault 1:31.234 15 laps
02. Alonso Ferrari 1:31.626 + 0.392 26 laps
03. Vettel Red Bull-Renault 1:31.875 + 0.641 24 laps
04. Massa Ferrari 1:32.099 + 0.865 25 laps
05. Rosberg Mercedes 1:32.166 + 0.932 29 laps
06. Schumacher Mercedes 1:32.660 + 1.426 27 laps
07. Petrov Renault 1:32.745 + 1.511 28 laps
08. Hamilton McLaren-Mercedes 1:32.757 + 1.523 22 laps
09. Sutil Force India-Mercedes 1:32.787 + 1.553 27 laps
10. Barrichello Williams-Cosworth 1:32.967 + 1.733 32 laps
11. Kubica Renault 1:33.019 + 1.785 30 laps
12. Hulkenberg Williams-Cosworth 1:33.164 + 1.930 28 laps
13. Button McLaren-Mercedes 1:33.200 + 1.966 24 laps
14. Kobayashi Sauber-Ferrari 1:33.402 + 2.168 23 laps
15. Liuzzi Force India-Mercedes 1:33.728 + 2.494 27 laps
16. Buemi Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:33.836 + 2.602 36 laps
17. de la Rosa Sauber-Ferrari 1:34.051 + 2.817 29 laps
18. Alguersuari Toro Rosso-Ferrari 1:34.643 + 3.409 36 laps
19. Kovalainen Lotus-Cosworth 1:35.465 + 4.231 25 laps
20. di Grassi Virgin-Cosworth 1:36.237 + 5.003 24 laps
21. Glock Virgin-Cosworth 1:36.553 + 5.319 21 laps
22. Chandhok HRT-Cosworth 1:37.019 + 5.785 27 laps
23. Yamamoto HRT-Cosworth 1:38.303 + 7.069 32 laps
24. Trulli Lotus-Cosworth 1:42.901 + 11.667 3 laps