Hamilton tops second practice

LewisHamilton

Hamilton and Rosberg are locked in an enthralling battle atop the 2014 Formula One driver standings, with the former - who is first - just three points ahead of the German.

Rosberg was quickest in first practice at Suzuka on Friday but the Brit hit back in the second session of the day.

Hamilton's fastest lap saw him zip around the circuit in a best time of one minute 35.078secs.

Rosberg (+0.240secs) was predictably next best, while Williams driver Valtteri Bottas (+1.201secs) finished third quickest.

McLaren's Jenson Button (+1.331secs) has had a lean year but was fourth, raising hopes of a repeat of his 2011 success at the track.

Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel (+1.358secs) is still looking for his first win of the season and was fifth best.

Hamilton's stint on the faster medium-compound Pirellis proved crucial in his quickest lap, while he was also aided by Daniel Ricciardo's minimal participation.

Ricciardo - the main rival to the dominant Mercedes pair this year - completed just three laps before a head-on crash which left his car with significant front-left damage.

The Australian's best lap was still enough for him to finish 10th-fastest.

That accident delayed the second practice by eight minutes, while Sauber's Esteban Gutierrez and Caterham's Kamui Kobayashi also crashed.

And Toro Rosso's Jean-Eric Vergne endured a day to forget.

After sitting out the morning session to give 17-year-old Max Verstappen his weekend debut in Formula One, Vergne returned, only to stop on track twice. He did still manage to set the 11th-fastest lap of the session, though, before a late failure for the Frenchman brought red flags out and ended the day's work for everyone.

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