Spanish Grand Prix FP3 report: Sainz leads in ultra-close final practice
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz clocked the fastest time in the third and final practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix on Saturday, nudging ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris and teammate Charles Leclerc in an intensely competitive session.
After an exhilarating FP2 that saw five different teams occupy the top five positions, drivers took to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya at 12:30 PM local time for their last on-track preparations ahead of the crucial qualifying session.
Statistics have consistently shown the importance of qualifying at this track, with 30 out of the 33 races since 1991 being won from the front row of the grid. This added significant stakes to the one-lap runs later in the afternoon.
All three Pirelli tire compounds—the soft C3, medium C2, and hard C1—were extensively tested during the first half of the session. Mercedes' George Russell set an initial benchmark with a lap time of 1m 13.431s on the soft tires.
As drivers switched to final qualifying simulations, again on the soft compounds, Sainz surged to the top with an impressive 1m 13.013s. He was closely followed by Norris, who posted a time of 1m 13.043s, and Leclerc, just behind with a 1m 13.050s.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen clocked the fourth-fastest time at 1m 13.087s, while Russell saw his early advantage slip, but he still ensured the top five drivers were separated by just one tenth of a second.
Lewis Hamilton, a couple of tenths off the pace, had an unusual incident with Aston Martin's Lance Stroll at Turn 5. "I didn't see him, my bad," admitted the seven-time world champion after the two cars made contact at the corner apex.
There was even more wheel-banging after the chequered flag dropped, including a clip between Leclerc and Norris that left the latter worried about potential car damage.
Read next ❯ Ferrari to reveal Hamilton's debut F1 car on February 19 at MaranelloRed Bull's Sergio Perez, carrying a three-place grid penalty into the weekend, placed seventh. Alex Albon and Fernando Alonso managed to get their Williams and Aston Martin cars into the top ten. Oscar Piastri rounded out the top ten, unable to match his McLaren teammate's pace.
The Alpine drivers, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, slipped to 11th and 12th, followed by Nico Hulkenberg (Haas), Valtteri Bottas (Kick Sauber), and Kevin Magnussen (Haas).
Red Bull continued to grapple with a significant update package, placing Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda in 16th and 18th positions respectively, split by Stroll. The grid was completed by the other Kick Sauber and Williams drivers, Zhou Guanyu and Logan Sargeant.
Drivers and teams will now return to the paddock to scrutinize the data collected during FP3 and refocus their strategies for the all-important qualifying session.
Expectations are high as the grid battles for those pivotal front-row positions at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.
