Gasly tops final practice at Zandvoort as Sargeant crash disrupts session

Alpine's Pierre Gasly emerged fastest in the third and final practice session for the Dutch Grand Prix, leading Haas's Kevin Magnussen and Kick Sauber's Valtteri Bottas. The session, however, was notably disrupted by a heavy crash involving outgoing Williams driver Logan Sargeant, which significantly impacted the proceedings.

The session began under the influence of further rain, which soaked the tight and twisty Zandvoort Circuit. The earlier mixed weather conditions had left the track in a precarious state, necessitating the use of wet tyres when the green light flashed at the end of the pit lane at 1130 local time. The gusty winds that troubled the first and second practice sessions had thankfully subsided somewhat.

Haas drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen were quick to take to the track. Oscar Piastri soon joined them on intermediate tyres, setting the initial pace with a lap time of 1m 24.176s, a clear indicator of the wet surface as it was nearly 15 seconds slower than the dry FP2 times.

The session quickly saw its first incident when Hulkenberg locked up under braking and slid into the barriers at Turn 11. "It’s again the same as yesterday," Hulkenberg commented over the radio, reflecting on his FP2 crash. This mishap damaged his front wing, prompting the stewards to note him for driving in an unsafe condition. Incidents for Magnussen, George Russell, and Fernando Alonso further underscored the challenging conditions.

The session took a dramatic turn when Logan Sargeant lost control of his Williams after running over a kerb and slipping onto the grass exiting Turn 3. His car slid across the track and impacted the barriers violently, leading to a red flag. Thankfully, Sargeant confirmed over the radio that he was unharmed, but the crash required extensive cleanup and significant repairs for his team.

Following a considerable effort from the marshals to clear the debris and tend to the barriers, the session resumed at 1228 local time, giving drivers just two minutes of on-track time. In the ensuing flurry, Gasly clocked the fastest time of 1m 20.311s on intermediate tyres. Magnussen followed close behind with a 1m 20.450s, and Bottas rounded out the top three with a 1m 21.155s.

Lando Norris secured fourth for McLaren, followed by Alonso, Esteban Ocon in the other Alpine, Piastri, Lance Stroll, and Hulkenberg, who managed to return with a new front wing. Ferrari's Carlos Sainz completed the top ten despite dealing with a gearbox issue on Friday.

Zhou Guanyu finished 11th in his Kick Sauber, followed by the sidelined Sargeant. The Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton sandwiched Alex Albon’s Williams in P13 to P15, with Charles Leclerc finishing 16th. Home favorite Max Verstappen was noted for not adhering to the Race Director's instructions and finished 17th. The RB pair of Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda, alongside Red Bull's Sergio Perez, failed to post times due to various issues.

With final practice complete, drivers and teams will now analyze the data collected to make crucial adjustments ahead of the afternoon’s highly anticipated qualifying session.

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