With Lewis Hamilton topping FP1 and FP2, Formula 1 returned for third and final practice for the Austrian Grand Prix. In the hour long session, teams began performing their final simulations ahead of qualifying in order to perfect their one lap pace.
Sebastian Vettel tops FP3 in Austria as Hamilton suffers brake failure
The big story ahead of the session was that of Lewis Hamilton, who has been handed a five-place grid penalty for an unscheduled gearbox change, meaning that it is impossible for the Briton to start from pole.
Unlike FP1 and FP2, FP3 was a much cleaner session, with fewer drivers having off track moments and fewer teams running into issues. Early on in the session however, Carlos Sainz Jr fell into difficulty for Toro Rosso, stopping out on track in the opening minutes of final practice. Once the car was returned to the pits however, the Spaniard was able to rejoin the session. In the closing stages of the session, Hamilton’s woes continued, having a front right brake failure going into turn 3 with five minutes of the session remaining, ending his running.
For the first time this weekend, it was not a Mercedes that topped the session, as Sebastian Vettel set the pace before qualifying for Ferrari, setting the best time of this weekend so far with a 1:05.092, 0.269 seconds ahead of Hamilton who was second fastest. Valtteri Bottas was third fastest in the second Mercedes, 0.423 seconds off the pace while Kimi Raikkonen was 0.519 seconds slower than his Ferrari team mate in fourth.
This weekend, both Ferrari and Mercedes are looking evenly matched in terms of performance, and in qualifying, Lewis Hamilton will be looking to secure pole to start from a highest position of sixth for the race while Mercedes will be aiming for a 1-2, with Hamilton’s penalty promoting Bottas to pole. Ferrari will also be looking for a good result, and do not face as much pressure as they do normally, with it being likely that there will be at least one Ferrari starting on the front row of the grid.
The midfield teams are also to be watched out for in qualifying, with Haas F1 looking very competitive after ending FP3 in seventh and eighth fastest ahead of both Toro Rossos. It will also be interesting to see how McLaren will do in qualifying with a newly upgraded “spec 3” engine being used this weekend.
Results from Practice 3 of the Austrian Grand Prix:
- Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1:05.092
- Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 1:05.361
- Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 1:05.515
- Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1:05.611
- Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, 1:05.784
- Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing, 1:05.896
- Kevin Magnussen, Haas F1, 1:05.936
- Romain Grosjean, Haas F1, 1:06.015
- Daniil Kvyat, Toro Rosso, 1:06.279
- Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso, 1:06.284
- Esteban Ocon, Force India, 1:06.374
- Nico Hulkenberg, Renault, 1:06.563
- Stoffel Vandoorne, McLaren, 1:06.578
- Jolyon Palmer, Renault, 1:06.595
- Fernando Alonso, McLaren, 1:06.599
- Lance Stroll, Williams, 1:06.776
- Felipe Massa, Williams, 1:06.865
- Sergio Perez, Force India, 1:06.875
- Marcus Ericsson, Sauber, 1:07.378
- Pascal Wehrlein, Sauber, 1:07.468
Main Photo
