Vettel and Raikkonen secure Ferrari one-two in final practice session; Watch qualifying live on Sky Sports F1 at 6pm
Saturday 10 June 2017 17:01, UK
Sebastian Vettel set the pace in final practice as Ferrari appeared to extend their advantage over Mercedes at the Canadian GP.
Championship leader Vettel, who had a mixed first day of practice in Montreal, posted the quickest time of the weekend so far with a 1:12.572 and was three tenths of a second faster than team-mate Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton.
When's the Canadian GP on Sky?
Both Mercedes cars struggled to match Ferrari's times on the ultrasoft tyre once again - though they will be encouraged by their supersoft pace, with Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas within a second of Vettel's benchmark on the slower tyre.
But Vettel's one-lap speed will give the Scuderia plenty of confidence ahead of a crucial qualifying session.
"It's close, but Ferrari do look good," noted Sky F1's Damon Hill. "They could be in line for another front-row lockout."
Red Bull enjoyed a more trouble-free session after their engine woes to start the weekend, with Max Verstappen even nipping ahead of Bottas in the dying seconds to secure fourth place. Nico Hulkenberg and Felipe Massa were ahead of the Dutchman's team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, however.
"We are going in the right direction, particularly Max who is pretty competitive," said Red Bull boss Christian Horner.
Fernando Alonso also lasted a whole session for McLaren-Honda, but he will need to find more from an under-performing MCL32 to fulfil his quest of making Q3 later in the day after finishing the session in 12th.
There is also plenty of improvement for Lance Stroll, with the Canadian looking to end his Formula 1 points drought in front of his own crowd this weekend. Unfortunately for the 18-year-old, he was only faster than backmarkers Sauber after another frustrating session.
All eyes will be on the front of the grid for Saturday's shootout, however, with Hamilton told by his Mercedes team that Ferrari were gaining most time in the final sector.
Bottas, who nearly collided with the wall to end P3, will also hope to join the fight for pole.
Can Mercedes hit back in the 2017 title fight with Ferrari? Don't miss the Canadian GP live only on Sky Sports F1 this weekend. The race starts at 7pm on Sunday. Watch the race for £6.99 on NOW TV
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