Red Bull's Vettel fastest in Singapore GP practice

SINGAPORE (AP) - Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time in Friday's opening practice session for the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix.

The world champion was only five hundredths of a second faster than McLaren's Lewis Hamilton, who sat out the final quarter hour of the session due to a minor technical issue.

Vettel won in Singapore last season but has won only a single race this season, whereas Hamilton has taken the two most recent grands prix and looms as the greatest threat to championship leader Fernando Alonso.

Hamilton's team-mate, Jenson Button, was third fastest as McLaren gave an early indication that it can handle the twisty layout of Marina Bay as well as it did in winning the past two races at the faster Belgian and Italian circuits.