Sainz dominates FP3 with maximum parity at Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix

Second day of the promotion Spanish Grand Prix 2024. started with a dispute about RP3which was much calmer than usual until the final minutes of the weekend’s practice arrived when the teams took the opportunity to run qualifying simulations.

Following a fire that was quickly contained in the McLaren F1 hotel and which occurred approximately 15 minutes before Free Practice 3, the session was able to start as planned and went ahead without any delays. At the end of 60 minutes, Carlos Sainz set the best time with a record 1:13,013.

Less than a tenth behind, with an impressive parity, Lando Norris (+0.030s), Charles Leclerc (+0.037s) and Max Verstappen (+0.074s) completed the top four positions in free practice at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya.

Mercedes were also not far behind the Spanish Ferrari driver, with George Russell fifth, just over a tenth behind, and Lewis Hamilton sixth, 0.3 seconds off the FP3 benchmark.

Sergio Perez was the minus of the leading group with a time of 1:13.723, which left him 0.7 seconds behind the leader.

Alexander Albon, Fernando Alonso and Oscar Piastri completed the top ten positions, although they were a long way from battling at the front of the grid.

Don’t miss the classification!:

*See Saturday results and photos for full recap.

2024 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix 3 Free Practice Results

(Click “View Results” to see the entire table)

2024 Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix Free Practice 3 (FP3) Summary

The third free practice session for the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix began with very little rush to get on track, with only Hamilton actually completing a few laps in the first five minutes, with a best time of 1:14.178. A few minutes later, Verstappen and Kevin Magnussen also took to the asphalt, but after the first turns, neither of them could overtake the Briton.

With softer tires and a return to the track, Hamilton lowered the bar to 1:13.865, but he was the only one, along with his teammate Russell, to set the red tires in the first 10 minutes of the session.

In fact, Russell beat Hamilton first in 1:13.431. Just at this moment, both Ferraris also went on soft tires and took 2nd and 3rd places, a tenth behind Sainz. After fifteen minutes of FP3, only nine drivers had set the time, while the Aston Martins had completed only one installation lap.

The Alpine drivers were next on soft tyres, but were sixth and seventh, a second behind Russell’s best time. It was at this point in the mediums that Norris moved up to second place with a time of 1:13.535.

Once all drivers had recorded their times, nothing changed at the top of the classification, but Alonso finished 12th in the middle, behind Pierre Gasly, Alexander Albon and Valtteri Bottas.

Halfway through Free Practice 3, all the racers were on the track, adding kilometers to their cars, but almost no one was painting the sectors green, much less purple.

Reaching the final 20 minutes of the session, some drivers began driving around the pits to install new tires and begin qualifying simulations. The first driver to finish at the top of the grid was Norris, but he aborted his first lap and returned to the penalty area. Soon after, his teammate Oscar Piastri completed a lap but did not improve and remained seventh.

Back on the track, this time Norris improved and moved into first place with a time of 1:13.043, three tenths ahead of Russell. Hamilton was next to try his luck, but he was 0.316 seconds behind Norris, although Alonso’s Aston Martin finished further, 0.743 seconds behind the benchmark at the time.

Stroll was interfered with on his fastest lap by Hamilton, and the Canadian did not take it well at all and slightly touched the car of the British driver, who admitted his guilt in not being able to leave the track in time.

Moments later, Russell improved to move into second place, 0.121 seconds behind Norris. Ferrari were next to finish on new soft tyres, with Carlos Sainz taking first place from his former McLaren teammate in 1:13.013, 0.037 seconds behind Leclerc. Verstappen was also unable to better the Ferrari Spaniard’s time, but finished very close (fourth by just 0.074 seconds).

Sergio Perez was the slowest rider in the leading group and finished seventh with a time of 0.710s.

Already at the checkered flag, Leclerc also made slight contact with Norris’s car, presumably due to previous interference from the British driver, a highly controversial move similar to Stroll’s actions with Hamilton a few minutes earlier.

Both incidents will be investigated after the meeting.

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