F1 FP3 results have gone in favor of Mercedes, like FP1 and FP2, with Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas finishing ahead of the pack in Austria.
After two decent FP sessions yesterday, the FP3 turned out to be a cracker. Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull and Racing Point were ultra-competitive, with positions being swapped at a bristling face.
But, ultimately, it was Mercedes which dominated (yet again), with Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas doing a 1-2. This bodes well for the German outfit, ahead of the qualifying session later today.
Reigning champion Lewis Hamilton topped all three practice sessions, as widely expected. His teammate Bottas similarly finished second in all the sessions.
F1 FP3 Results
- Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:04.130
- Valtteri Bottas Mercedes +0.147
- Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.283
- Sergio Perez Racing Point +0.475
- Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.573
- Alex Albon Red Bull Racing +0.595
- Sebastian Vettel Ferrari +0.721
- Lance Stroll Racing Point +0.788
- Pierre Gasly Alpha Tauri +0.819
- Lando Norris McLaren +0.820
- Esteban Ocon Renault +0.907
- Daniel Ricciardo Renault +0.958
- Carlos Sainz McLaren +1.047
- Daniil Kvyat Alpha Tauri +1.160
- Romain Grosjean Haas +1.233
- George Russell Williams +1.435
- Kevin Magnussen Haas +1.518
- Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo +1.524
- Kimi Raikkonen Alfa Romeo +1.643
- Nicholas Latifi Williams +2.919
Hamilton put in a best lap time of 1.04.130 seconds, with Bottas 0.147 seconds slower than the Brit.
FP3 CLASSIFICATION: Last practice before qualifying 👀#AustrianGP 🇦🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/6w9n5WLbw9
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 4, 2020
Improved showing from Verstappen; Perez impressive again
Meanwhile, last year’s winner at the Red Bull Ring Max Verstappen did well to finish in P3. He is widely expected to be the toughest competition to Mercedes this season.
Sergio Perez continued his impressive form with Racing Point, finishing P4. He could be the wildcard for the podium this weekend. His teammate Lance Stroll did well to finish P8.
Ferrari, too, put in a better showing than yesterday, with Charles Leclerc finishing P4, two spots ahead of teammate Sebastian Vettel.
Also read: Former champion Button not happy with Ferrari over treatment with Vettel
Red Bull’s other half Alex Albon was sandwiched between the Ferrari at P7. Pierre Gasly of Alpha Tauri and Mclaren’s Lando Norris completed the top 10, with the former finishing just 1/1000th of a second behind Norris.
In the bottom half, Ferrari’s 2021 driver disappointed, finishing 13th in his McLaren. Ferrari’s former champion Kimi Raikkonen finished 19th in his Alfa Romeo. Williams’ Nicholas Latifi propped up the charts.
Also read: Kimi Raikkonen confirms if he will retire at end of season
What to expect from qualifying at the Red Bull Ring?
With Mercedes looking set to finish in the top grid, the focus would be on Racing Point. They could provide tough competition to Ferrari and Red Bull.
