World championship leader Sebastian Vettel fastest in final practice

Sebastian Vettel prepares for his race at the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal on Saturday. Pic/AFP

World championship leader Sebastian Vettel topped the times ahead of his Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen in Saturday morning's third and final free practice session ahead of today's Canadian Grand Prix.

The four-time champion German dominated the hour-long session and clocked his best time in one minute and 12.572 seconds with 22 minutes remaining. That lap lifted him 0.292 seconds clear of the Finn who was, in turn, less than a tenth ahead of Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and Dutch teenager Max Verstappen, who was fourth in the leading Red Bull.

Hamilton's Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas was fifth quickest ahead of German Nico Hulkenberg of Renault, Brazilian Felipe Massa of Williams and Australian Daniel Ricciardo, who was down in eighth in the second Red Bull.

On a blue-skied day at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Ferrari's performance encouraged belief that they could claim their first consecutive pole positions since 2012 when qualifying takes place later Saturday.