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Jenson Button (McLaren) set the best time in the morning session and Mark Webber (Red Bull) was fastest in the afternoon session of free practice at the Grand Prix of Japan.

Lewis Hamilton (McLaren) ranked second in each session.

Paul di Resta (Sahara Force India) had a huige crash at the beginning of the second practice session. Le Scot was uninjured , but the the session was stopped to clear the track from the debris.

Two reserve drivers were in action in the morning. Valtteri Bottas at Williams, in Bruno Senna's car, and Giedo van der Garde for Caterham, driving the CT01 of Heikki Kovalainen.

Grand prix of Japan - Suzuka
Friday, October 5th 2012

Free practice session 1 - Results*
1 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'34"507 - 20 laps
2 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'34"740 - 26
3 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'34"856 - 24
4 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'35"059 - 18
5 - Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'35"122 - 20
6 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'35"199 - 27
7 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 1'35"283 - 24
8 - Paul di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'35"299 - 18
9 - Nico Hülkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'35"474 - 22
10 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'35"478 - 24
11 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) - 1'35"484 - 26
12 - Sergio Pérez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'35"584 - 24
13 - Kimi Räikkönen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'35"691 - 22
14 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'35"724 - 21
15 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'36"123 - 19
16 - Jean-éric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'36"222 - 25
17 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'36"366 - 23
18 - Valtteri Bottas (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'36"389 - 24
19 - Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'37"716 - 17
20 - Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'38"295 - 23
21 - Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'38"616 - 25
22 - Narain Karthikeyan (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'39"043 - 25
23 - Giedo Van der Garde (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'39"374 - 22
24 - Pedro de la Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'39"688 - 19

Free practice session 2 - Results*
1 - Mark Webber (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'32"493 - 34 laps
2 - Lewis Hamilton (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'32"707 - 32
3 - Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull RB8-Renault) - 1'32"836 - 37
4 - Nico Hülkenberg (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - 1'32"987 - 30
5 - Fernando Alonso (Ferrari F2012) - 1'33"093 - 28
6 - Romain Grosjean (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'33"107 - 35
7 - Jenson Button (McLaren MP4/27-Mercedes) - 1'33"349 - 22
8 - Bruno Senna (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'33"499 - 35
9 - Felipe Massa (Ferrari F2012) - 1'33"614 - 32
10 - Michael Schumacher (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'33"750 - 13
11 - Nico Rosberg (Mercedes MGP W03) - 1'33"866 - 19
12 - Sergio Pérez (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'33"903 - 36
13 - Kamui Kobayashi (Sauber C31-Ferrari) - 1'33"933 - 33
14 - Kimi Räikkönen (Lotus E20-Renault) - 1'34"291 - 12
15 - Pastor Maldonado (Williams FW34-Renault) - 1'34"300 - 33
16 - Daniel Ricciardo (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'34"863 - 32
17 - Jean-Éric Vergne (Toro Rosso STR7-Ferrari) - 1'35"080 - 34
18 - Heikki Kovalainen (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'35"711 - 41
19 - Vitaly Petrov (Caterham CT01-Renault) - 1'35"870 - 37
20 - Timo Glock (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'36"194 - 32
21 - Charles Pic (Marussia MR01-Cosworth) - 1'36"636 - 28
22 - Pedro de la Rosa (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'37"342 - 30
23 - Narain Karthikeyan (HRT F112-Cosworth) - 1'37"701 - 35
24 - Paul di Resta (Force India VJM05-Mercedes) - no time - 2

* Unofficial results