Formula 1

Verstappen on top for the final practice of the Spanish Grand Prix

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Credit: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Despite having a Friday of poor running, Max Verstappen spoilt Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team’s weekend in topping the final practice of the weekend. Verstappen found himself floating around the middle of the table during the afternoon session on Friday but that doesn’t seem to have been a true reflection of his pace and is looking like a real threat for pole position.

Red Bull Racing teammate Sergio Pérez didn’t have the best of mornings, his fastest time was seven tenths of a second off of his teammate and found himself tenth fastest.

Lewis Hamilton came in second after spending much of the session on top but was eventually eclipsed by Verstappen. Valtteri Bottas found himself over half a second off the fastest lap in what can only be described as a disappointing session for him as he finished fifth overall.

Scuderia Ferrari continued to be a threat to the top three this weekend, Charles Leclerc has been rapid all weekend and got himself into the top three for a second session running with the third fastest lap; His teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. was just behind him in fourth.

Lando Norris became the next victim to the new Turn 10. Norris had a small lock-up and went into the gravel. Luckily, he was able to get his car going again and continue on to the pits. The Brit still put in a strong session, finishing sixth overall. His McLaren F1 Team teammate Daniel Ricciardo picked up the pace from Friday’s sessions, breaking into the top ten and finishing eighth.

Pierre Gasly left it to the final minutes of the session to pull out a top ten lap and split the McLaren’s in seventh. Yuki Tsunoda has been having a good weekend but couldn’t quite get the same pace as Gasly, finishing twelfth.

Kimi Räikkönen suffered a puncture when running on the soft tyres. He was able to bring his car back to the pits, albeit slowly. Despite this, he still managed to get a lap that put him into the top ten, being ninth fastest overall. Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN teammate Antonio Giovinazzi was down the other end of the timings screen in sixteenth.

Alpine F1 Team weren’t able to repeat their heroics of Friday’s afternoon session. Neither driver could break the top ten with Fernando Alonso coming just shy in eleventh and Esteban Ocon in thirteenth.

Aston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team’s misfortunes continue. Lance Stroll finished fourteenth with Sebastian Vettel coming in seventeenth, a whole second and a half off of Verstappen.

George Russell was once sitting pretty in seventh early in the session but wasn’t able to keep himself there. He finished fifteenth with Williams Racing teammate Nicholas Latifi in eighteenth.

Uralkali Haas F1 Team duo of Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin finished off the grid coming nineteenth and twentieth respectively.

Free Practice 3 results

PosNODriverNat.TeamTimeGapLaps
133Max VerstappenNEDRed Bull Racing Honda1:17.83511
244Lewis HamiltonGBRMercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team1:18.070+0.235s14
316Charles LeclercMONScuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow1:18.308+0.473s17
455Carlos Sainz Jr.ESPScuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow1:18.410+0.575s18
577Valtteri BottasFINMercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team1:18.423+0.588s15
64Lando NorrisGBRMcLaren F1 Team1:18.494+0.659s14
710Pierre GaslyFRAScuderia AlphaTauri Honda1:18.535+0.700s17
83Daniel RicciardoAUSMcLaren F1 Team1:18.582+0.747s21
97Kimi RäikkönenFINAlfa Romeo Racing Orlen1:18.597+0.762s18
1011Sergio PérezMEXRed Bull Racing Honda1:18.606+0.771s16
1114Fernando AlonsoESPAlpine F1 Team1:18.662+0.827s18
1222Yuki TsunodaJAPScuderia AlphaTauri Honda1:18.673+0.838s21
1331Esteban OconFRAAlpine F1 Team1:18.700+0.865s15
1418Lance StrollCANAston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team1:18.877+1.042s18
1563George RussellGBRWilliams Racing1:19.005+1.170s17
1699Antonio GiovinazziITAAlfa Romeo Racing Orlen1:19.214+1.379s19
175Sebastian VettelGERAston Martin Cognizant Formula One Team1:19.363+1.528s18
186Nicholas LatifiCANWilliams Racing1:19.392+1.557s16
1947Mick SchumacherGERUralkali Haas F1 Team1:19.999+2.164s17
209Nikita MazepinRUSUralkali Haas F1 Team1:20.237+2.402s15
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