A concerning incident opened Saturday in Catalonia: just minutes before the session, firefighters intervened at the McLaren hospitality area. Once the issue was resolved, the cars took to the track as scheduled. Here’s what happened in the FP3 of the F1 in Spain: results and summary of the Free Practice.
First 15 minutes
With ambient temperatures at 27°C and the track at 40°C, the heat was the main factor at Montmelò. At the start of the session, Lewis Hamilton was the first to hit the track on new soft tires. The early stages of the Catalan FP3 were relatively calm, with drivers setting high times about ten minutes into the session.
Mercedes and Ferrari immediately began their program on soft tires. Other teams took a more cautious approach, using medium and hard tires. In comparison to Mercedes, the two Ferraris set record splits in the first two sectors but lost their advantage in the final sector, finishing a tenth behind Russell.
Middle phase: different strategies
About twenty minutes after the green light, the drivers began to get serious, with few remaining in the garage. Leclerc attempted another lap on the same soft tires from his first attempt: he started cautiously, sacrificing some time in the first sectors to improve in sector three. The time didn’t move him up the ranks, but Charles was satisfied: “Good work with the car. It’s a nice step forward.”
Leclerc finally felt comfortable, while McLaren continued to show good form. On his first attempt with medium tires, Norris placed second. With 35 minutes left, only Mercedes, Ferrari, and Alpine had started working on soft tires. McLaren and Red Bull had different plans, focusing on medium tires in the first part of the session.
Sergio Perez underwent a setup change. At Red Bull, while Verstappen began a long run halfway through FP3, Checo was still seeking the ideal balance. The Mexican’s car remained in the garage as the mechanics worked on the front end.
After half an hour, almost all drivers on track – some on soft, others on medium – were focused on long runs. Leclerc showed newfound confidence, consistently setting faster times on red tires than Mercedes. Verstappen’s simulation on yellow tires was different. Both Charles and Max returned to the pits on the same lap, while the first drivers began to hit the track on new soft tires.
Last 20 minutes: qualifying simulation
Norris and Piastri were the first to use new soft tires. On his first timed attack, Lando set a good first sector but lifted off midway through the lap. He relaunched shortly after, clocking a 1:13.043, excelling in the second sector. Piastri struggled, losing time in sector three and hitting the gravel at the start of the sector.
With 15 minutes remaining, Hamilton was on an out-lap with new soft tires, while Perez’s mechanics changed the anti-roll bar on his car for the third time. Checo’s struggles continued, never fully comfortable.
On their first attempts, Russell and Hamilton slotted in behind Norris. George was 0.121s off, with Lewis three-tenths behind Lando. Without Ferrari and Red Bull, the standings were: Norris first, Russell second, and Hamilton third.
With 10 minutes remaining, Ferrari and Red Bull joined the fray. Carlos Sainz set the fastest time in the third sector, taking the lead, followed by Norris and Verstappen. Max moved to P3, 0.074s off, while Perez finished his attempt seven-tenths behind the leader.
Tensions flared at the end of the session: Leclerc, Norris, and Hamilton came under scrutiny from the stewards. Lewis impeded Stroll, while Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris made contact after Lando blocked Charles’ lap, leading Leclerc to close the door and touch him.
Charles Leclerc’s lap was record-setting in the first two sectors. A small mistake in the third sector cost him two-tenths compared to Carlos Sainz. Ferrari #16 still secured P3, 0.037s behind the leader.
Final timesheet in FP3!
1) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari, 1:13.013
2) Lando Norris, McLaren, +0.030
3) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, +0.037
4) Max Verstappen, Red Bull, +0.074
5) George Russell, Mercedes, +0.151
6) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, +0.346
7) Sergio Perez, Red Bull, +0.710
8) Alex Albon, Williams, +0.740
9) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin, +0.773
10) Oscar Piastri, McLaren, +0.894
Source: f1ingenerale
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