#ImolaGP FP3: @MaxVerstappen tops time-sheets ahead of @LandoNorris. #F1

Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen topped the final FP3 session before qualifying at the Imola GP, pipping McLaren’s Lando Norris by 0.456 seconds with Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton a further 0.557 seconds adrift in third.

 

 

The final practice session took place under cool and slowly climbing temperatures at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, meaning drivers posted their best efforts on their second or even their third qualifying simulation run.

 

There were several incidents in the session, along with a brief red flag and a flurry of lap-times invalidated due to drivers exceeding track limits.

 

The majority of teams remained in the garages for the first 15 minutes, before Alfa Romeo Racing’s Kimi Raikkonen starting lapping solo before the Haas F1 Team pairing emerged.

 

Raikkonen lost his benchmark time due to a track limits infringement after running wide at the Piratella corner, but his next hot-lap on the C3 mediums – established the P1 time to beat in FP3 with a 1:17.331.

 

That effort remained the fastest until the Ferrari duo lead the field onto the track after the opening 15 minutes had passed, with Charles Leclerc putting his FP2 session ending shunt behind him by claiming top spot on his initial flyer.

 

The Monegasque-youngsters quick time of a 1:17.321 was also posted on the medium rubber, which he used to lower the benchmark to a 1:16.795 a few moments later- just after Ferrari team-mate Carlos Sainz had momentarily claimed P1.

 

Red Bull Racing’s Sergio Perez along with the two Mercedes drivers headed out after 20 minutes, and the Mexican used his mediums to take first place on a 1:16.332, pushing right to the edge of the gravel trap between the Rivazza left-hand corners at the end of the lap.

 

Valtteri Bottas momentarily took P1 on his first flyer – the black-liveried F1 W12’s refraining from any running on the mediums and emerging straight on the C4 red-marked softer tyres – but the Finn lost his effort due to exceeding track limits again.

 

The session was momentarily suspended after Williams Racing’s Nicholas Latifi lost the rear of his FW43B racer shooting through the Villeneuve chicane and skated through the gravel trap on the exit and lost the front-left part of his front wing in the process.

 

Although the Canadian was able to reverse away and return slowly back to the pits, the session was halted for a few minutes while the debris was cleared.

 

Went the action went green, Verstappen claimed P1 on his first hot lap – also straight on the softer compounds despite the Red Bull driver missing all the long-run data gathering yesterday due to a driveshaft problem.

 

But the Dutchman’s effort – a 1:16.251 – was invalidated for running wide at Piratella and was quickly beaten by Bottas’ 1:15.984.

 

That time was posted on the Finn’s second flyer and a few moments later, Verstappen found enough time on his third hot lap – with the Red Bull driver having to back out of a second run after clattering the kerbs at the Acque Minerali exit turns and bouncing hard onto the track.

 

Verstappen’s 1:15.895 made him fastest before Scuderia AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly flew to the top of the time-sheets on the medium rubber, a few minutes later the Frenchman had a near miss exiting the Tosa hairpin – getting very close to the wall after losing the rear of his Honda-powered AT02 racer as he throttled out of the left-hander.

 

However, the soft tyre runners claimed back top spot – lead by Leclerc with a 1:15.738.

 

Hamilton, was another driver who had his best effort invalidated for exceeding track limits at Piratella, then took P1 with a 1:15.515, before McLaren’s Norris, on his second flyer, went quickest with a 1:15.414.

 

After Raikkonen went rallying through the gravel trap on the exit of the first Rivazza left-hander – the Alfa Romeo understeering almost straight off as he arrived at high speed – Verstappen looked to have set the session’s best time.

 

However, the lap did not look smooth overall – and Verstappen could not beat Norris’ sector one time – the Dutchman flew in the final two sectors and wound up fastest with a 1:14.958 and 0.456 seconds clear.

 

The action slowed down in the closing stages, with Alfa Romeo Racing’s Antonio Giovinazzi suffering a spin on cold tyres at low speed upon the exit of Tamburello chicane.

 

Norris therefore finished second with Hamilton third and Perez in fourth place and 0.593 seconds adrift of Red Bull Racing team-mate Verstappen Imola GP FP3 benchmark.

 

Ferrari’s Leclerc rounded out the top five and in-front of AlphaTauri’s Gasly who was sixth and team-mate Sainz who ended the final practice session seventh.

 

Bottas was eighth in the second Mercedes and ahead of Alpine F1 Team’s Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon who completed the top ten.

 

You can see the full Formula 1 Pirelli Gran Premio Del Made In Italy Dell’emilia Romagna 2021 Free Practice 3 Results Classification at the link: https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2021/races/1065/italy/practice-3.html

 

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