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Rosberg is quickest again
German puts in fastest lap in free practice
Nico Rosberg produced a typically fast lap late in the session to top the charts after Friday's opening free practice for the Turkish Grand Prix.
The German conjured a late blast from the low-fueled Williams to usurp McLaren's Lewis Hamilton with a lap time of one minute 28.952 seconds at Istanbul's Otodrom circuit.
Rosberg has now finished top in 10 of 19 practice sessions so far this season but has yet to achieve a podium finish, with a best of sixth coming two weeks ago in Monaco.
"We just run less fuel than everybody else," he said on Thursday. "We look quicker than we are, so it's not important at all."
Toyota's Jarno Trulli, who along with team-mate Timo Glock suffered a disaster around the streets of Monte Carlo, finished third quickest, just eight thousandths of a second behind Hamilton.
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Felipe Massa, winner of this race for the last three years in his Ferrari, were fourth and fifth, just under 0.4secs behind Rosberg.
Kimi Raikkonen was seventh, with Fernando Alonso eighth and Rubens Barrichello ninth in his Brawn GP, followed by Heikki Kovalainen for McLaren.
Current championship leader Jenson Button, 16 points clear of team-mate Barrichello and 28 ahead of Vettel, had to settle for 11th as he finished 0.795secs off Rosberg.
The BMW Sauber duo of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld, with the team running a new multiple diffuser in a bid to claw back lost ground on their rivals, showed few signs of improvement as they were 16th and 17th.
Times
01 N. Rosberg Williams 1:28.952 24 laps
02 L. Hamilton McLaren 1:29.263 23 laps
03 J. Trulli Toyota 1:29.271 26 laps
04 S. Vettel Red Bull 1:29.33718 laps
05 F. Massa Ferrari 1:29.342 22 laps
06 K. Nakajima Williams 1:29.371 21 laps
07 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:29.398 25 laps
08 F. Alonso Renault 1:29.422 24 laps
09 R. Barrichello Brawn GP 1:29.525 25 laps
10 H. Kovalainen McLaren 1:29.590 20 laps
11 J. Button Brawn GP 1:29.747 20 laps
12 A. Sutil Force India F1 1:29.864 22 laps
13 T. Glock Toyota 1:29.934 26 laps
14 N. Piquet jr. Renault 1:30.132 18 laps
15 M. Webber Red Bull 1:30.176 22 laps
16 R. Kubica BMW 1:30.645 22 laps
17 N. Heidfeld BMW 1:30.689 20 laps
18 G. Fisichella Force India F1 1:30.729 22 laps
19 S. Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:30.838 24 laps
20 S. Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:30.944 26 laps
German puts in fastest lap in free practice
Nico Rosberg produced a typically fast lap late in the session to top the charts after Friday's opening free practice for the Turkish Grand Prix.
The German conjured a late blast from the low-fueled Williams to usurp McLaren's Lewis Hamilton with a lap time of one minute 28.952 seconds at Istanbul's Otodrom circuit.
Rosberg has now finished top in 10 of 19 practice sessions so far this season but has yet to achieve a podium finish, with a best of sixth coming two weeks ago in Monaco.
"We just run less fuel than everybody else," he said on Thursday. "We look quicker than we are, so it's not important at all."
Toyota's Jarno Trulli, who along with team-mate Timo Glock suffered a disaster around the streets of Monte Carlo, finished third quickest, just eight thousandths of a second behind Hamilton.
Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel and Felipe Massa, winner of this race for the last three years in his Ferrari, were fourth and fifth, just under 0.4secs behind Rosberg.
Kimi Raikkonen was seventh, with Fernando Alonso eighth and Rubens Barrichello ninth in his Brawn GP, followed by Heikki Kovalainen for McLaren.
Current championship leader Jenson Button, 16 points clear of team-mate Barrichello and 28 ahead of Vettel, had to settle for 11th as he finished 0.795secs off Rosberg.
The BMW Sauber duo of Robert Kubica and Nick Heidfeld, with the team running a new multiple diffuser in a bid to claw back lost ground on their rivals, showed few signs of improvement as they were 16th and 17th.
Times
01 N. Rosberg Williams 1:28.952 24 laps
02 L. Hamilton McLaren 1:29.263 23 laps
03 J. Trulli Toyota 1:29.271 26 laps
04 S. Vettel Red Bull 1:29.33718 laps
05 F. Massa Ferrari 1:29.342 22 laps
06 K. Nakajima Williams 1:29.371 21 laps
07 K. Räikkönen Ferrari 1:29.398 25 laps
08 F. Alonso Renault 1:29.422 24 laps
09 R. Barrichello Brawn GP 1:29.525 25 laps
10 H. Kovalainen McLaren 1:29.590 20 laps
11 J. Button Brawn GP 1:29.747 20 laps
12 A. Sutil Force India F1 1:29.864 22 laps
13 T. Glock Toyota 1:29.934 26 laps
14 N. Piquet jr. Renault 1:30.132 18 laps
15 M. Webber Red Bull 1:30.176 22 laps
16 R. Kubica BMW 1:30.645 22 laps
17 N. Heidfeld BMW 1:30.689 20 laps
18 G. Fisichella Force India F1 1:30.729 22 laps
19 S. Bourdais Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:30.838 24 laps
20 S. Buemi Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:30.944 26 laps