FP: how Charles Leclerc and Oliver Bearman performed in final practice for 2024 F1 Saudi Arabian GP

Engines roared for the final free practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and as planned, there was an hour of activity on the Jeddah track. Scuderia Ferrari and Red Bull remained the leading cars, with the RB20 once again proving to be the pace-setter of the weekend. Positive signs from yesterday’s practices, where the Ferrari showed competitiveness in the race pace simulation. Let’s see, in our summary, what occurred during the FP3 of the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

An important debut for Oliver Bearman, who had the task of replacing Carlos Sainz, with the Spaniard sidelined due to appendicitis. The young British driver immediately proved effective with “his” SF-24 on the circuit’s turns. At the moment, his program is purely about learning, but he demonstrated immediate speed, posting the second-best time in the first 15 minutes. A reference that showcases the ease of handling the new SF-24. Around him in the standings were the two Mercedes drivers, both on red tires but very close to the debutant’s time.

With 40 minutes to go, almost everyone was on the track, with many drivers using red tires for the first qualifying simulation of the day. Perez, on his first attempt, topped the standings thanks to the red tire, beating Russell by a clear 3 tenths. His teammate was slightly delayed, not going under 2 tenths behind on the first attempt. Leclerc responded excellently a few moments later on the already-used yellow tire, shaving over 3 tenths off the time of the first of the two Red Bulls. However, observing the speeds, a Ferrari with a higher power unit was seen but not yet at its maximum.

After the initial qualifying attempts, debutant Oliver Bearman focused on the race simulation, a crucial test to get accustomed to tire management. After Charles Leclerc’s attempt, Max Verstappen showcased his speed, taking the top spot in the time chart with a 3-tenths lead over Charles Leclerc, using the soft compound. However, the world champion did not settle and, with a red tire that had completed 8 laps, further lowered the limit to 1:28.412. Immediately after Verstappen’s attempt, Fernando Alonso with his AMR24 also moved into the top positions of the chart, albeit about a second behind the limit.

As the session was winding down, several drivers engaged in the race pace simulation. However, the lap times are inconclusive as Zhou hit the wall in the first part of the track. After losing several minutes to repair the barriers, all drivers returned to the track to attempt a flying lap with red tires. The final standings see Max Verstappen ahead of Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez. And what a very impressive session for Oliver Bearman at Ferrari following his 11th-hour call-up to Carlos Sainz’s seat. The Ferrari Driver Academy member finishes 10th fastest, within 0.8s of the pace. The qualifying is set for later today.

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