Nico Rosberg was quickest once again in the final practice session for the German Grand Prix, as his team-mate Lewis Hamilton faces a potential grid penalty.
After Rosberg had topped both practice sessions yesterday Hamilton was the quickest initially in the Saturday morning session. Rosberg had set an initial 1:16.134 time but Hamilton seconds later got under it with an 1:16.015 and then later shaved more time off to set a 1:15.795.
Rosberg later though sneaked under Hamilton's mark with a 1:15.738, around half a tenth quicker than his team mate at the top. While Hamilton sought to respond and indeed set a quicker first sector on his next run, he abandoned the lap after a poor middle sector.
However already by this point Hamilton faced an additional threat, as early in the session he had been released by his team from his pit garage into the path of Romain Grosjean in the pit lane fast lane, who had to stop. The stewards later announced they were investigating this, and if Hamilton receives a reprimand he faces a ten-place grid penalty for his third reprimand of the season.
The chasing pack were close to the Mercedes in the final times. Daniel Ricciardo in the Red Bull was third fastest with a time under a tenth off Rosberg's pace. Kimi Raikkonen's Ferrari was fourth 0.164 seconds off the top.
They were followed by Sebastian Vettel and Max Verstappen, 0.366 and 0.444 seconds off the pace respectively. The Williams after a quiet Friday also improved, with them placed seventh and eighth with Valtteri Bottas ahead. They also were within a second of the Mercedes.
The Mercedes did set their marks on older sets of supersoft tyres however than many of those behind, and did not match Rosberg's best time of 1:15.614 from yesterday.
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