Hamilton and Vettel set the pace in practice for the 2013 German Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel set the pace in practice for the 2013 German Grand Prix on Friday, with no sign of the tyre blowouts which marred last weekend’s British race at Silverstone.
Hamilton, who won this race 2 years ago with McLaren, topped the timesheets for Mercedes in the first session, ahead of German team-mate Nico Rosberg, while Red Bull’s championship leader Vettel was only eighth fastest. However, the German triple world champion, who has never won a Formula One race on home track or in July, sped around the track with the day’s top time of one minute 30.416 in the afternoon session. Rosberg was second fastest again with a 1:30.651 as Mercedes were roared on by small pockets of home fans sprinkled among the half-empty stands at the rural western German venue. Hamilton, the 2008 champion, was only eighth fastest.
Red Bull’s Mark Webber, preparing for his final German Grand Prix as he quits for endurance racing at the end of the season, was third quickest in both practice runs at the circuit where he took his first Formula One victory in 2009.