Suzuka: Red Bull driver Mark Webber set the fastest time in final practice for the Japanese Grand Prix while team-mate and runaway championship leader Sebastian Vettel sat out the last 20 minutes with a KERS power-boost problem and was ninth ahead of qualifying later Saturday.
Webber's lap of 1 minute and 32.053 seconds was 0.134 seconds ahead of Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton. Mercedes' Nico Rosberg was third, three tenths off the pace. Vettel did not get a run on his medium-compound tyres, harming his preparations for qualifying.
Lotus' Romain Grosjean was fourth fastest followed by Ferrari's Fernando Alonso, who is a distant 77 points behind Vettel in the championship standings.
Vettel has won three of the past four races in Japan and can clinch his fourth successive world title in Sunday's race. The title will be his if he wins and nearest rival Alonso finishes ninth or worse.
Alonso's team-mate Felipe Massa was sixth followed by McLaren driver Jenson Button, who won here in 2011. Lotus' Kimi Raikkonen was eighth while Sauber driver Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the top ten.
Adrian Sutil spun off the track and hit a tyre wall coming out of Spoon curve. There was damage to the front and wear wings of his Force India, which had to be removed by the race marshals.
The final practice session was held under sunny skies and similar conditions are predicted for Sunday's race.
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