Webber on top in the wet

Mark Webber ploughs through the rain © Getty Images

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Mark Webber finished on top of the lap times after Saturday's final free practice session before qualifying as torrential rain made for limited running until the final half hour.

Webber, celebrating his 35th birthday, clocked a 2:08.988 to finish ahead of Jaime Alguersuari and Jenson Button as further rain looms ahead of this afternoon's qualifying session.

If yesterday's early conditions were treacherous, the downpour that hit the circuit on Saturday morning left the track practically undriveable during the first 20 minutes, drivers completing just one tentative installation lap before retiring to the pits. The McLaren drivers left it late to go out as conditions worsened further, Lewis Hamilton tiptoeing around the circuit and reporting 'lots of aquaplaning'.

Conditions relented enough during the last half hour to allow more meaningful running, Schumacher taking a brave gamble on intermediates and making for spectacular viewing on a circuit still more suited to wet tyres. As the circuit dried further so other drivers followed Schumacher's lead by donning inters, Mercedes team-mate Nico Rosberg suffering a puncture on his front right.

Unsurprisingly, the conditions provided a few incidents, Bruno Senna running wide and skipping the chicane at turn 5, Paul di Resta pirouetting at Pouhon and Nico Rosberg running wide at the Bus Stop.

With the forecast set for further rain in qualifying, a fascinating scenario awaits with real potential for a mixed up grid.

1 M Webber (AUS) Red Bull 2'08.988
2 LC Hamilton (GBR) McLaren 2'09.046
3 J Alguersuari (ESP) Toro Rosso 2'09.931
4 J Button (GBR) McLaren 2'10.257
5 S Vettel (GER) Red Bull 2'10.402
6 S Buemi (SUI) Toro Rosso 2'10.580
7 N Rosberg (GER) Mercedes-Benz 2'10.837
8 A Sutil (GER) Force India 2'11.437
9 B Senna (BRA) Renault 2'11.664
10 M Schumacher (GER) Mercedes-Benz 2'11.667
11 P di Resta (GBR) Force India 2'11.874
12 H Kovalainen (FIN) Lotus 2'13.036
13 P Maldonado (VEN) Williams 2'13.074
14 K Kobayashi (JPN) Sauber 2'13.182
15 V Petrov (RUS) Renault 2'13.290
16 RG Barrichello (BRA) Williams 2'13.778
17 S Perez (MEX) Sauber 2'14.334
18 J Trulli (ITA) Lotus 2'14.682
19 J d'Ambrosio (BEL) Virgin 2'17.159
20 T Glock (GER) Virgin 2'18.039
21 D Ricciardo (AUS) HRT 2'19.001
22 V Liuzzi (ITA) HRT 2'19.597
23 F Massa (BRA) Ferrari 2'22.454
24 F Alonso (ESP) Ferrari -

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