Red Bull’s Vettel on top after second free practice

Defending champion Sebastian Vettel bounced back after a disappointing morning to top the times in yesterday’s second free practice session for this weekend’s Italian Grand Prix.

The 24-year-old Red Bull driver and runaway leader of this year’s title race clocked a best time of one minute and 24.010 to outpace nearest rival Lewis Hamilton of McLaren by 0.036sec.

Hamilton was fastest in the morning session with a lap in 1:23.865, when Vettel was left in third place and more than 1.7sec adrift.

Michael Schumacher, 42, proved that he knows his way round the famous old Autodromo Nazionale Monza better than anyone – after five wins at the track and seven world titles overall – by winding up third in his Mercedes.

Felipe Massa of Ferrari was fourth, behind his former team-mate but ahead of his current partner with the scarlet scuderia, two-time champion Fernando Alonso.

This left Mark Webber down in sixth in the second Red Bull, with Jenson Button seventh in the second McLaren on a warm, sunny afternoon on which the top seven were all within half a second of the fastest man.

Sergio Perez was eighth for Sauber ahead of his Japanese team-mate Kamui Kobayashi and 10th-placed Bruno Senna, who recovered from a poor morning to outpace his Renault team-mate Vitaly Petrov, who was 11th.

German driver Adrian Sutil was down in 12th place for Force India.

Renault deal

Meanwhile, Red Bull extended their successful engine-supply deal with Renault for five more years to 2016.

The previous agreement between the two was due to end in 2012.

Red Bull team chief Christian Horner said: “We’re obviously thrilled to announce this significantly enhanced agreement with the Renault-Nissan Alliance, who we have enjoyed a close working relationship with since 2007.

“Renault Sport F1 has always been very straightforward to work with, which has been a contributing factor to the on-going success of the Red Bull Racing Renault partnership.”

Jean-Francois Caubet, managing director of Renault Sport F1, said: “The V6 power units due to be introduced from 2014 represent a huge undertaking and to have the input, resources and in-house F1 car expertise of Red Bull Technology will help the team at Renault Sport F1 specify, design and develop a competitive unit.”

Renault engines will also power the Renault team, Williams and Team Lotus in F1 next year.