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Azerbaijan GP: Perez back on top in FP3 from Leclerc

  • Darshan Chokhani
    • F1, Azerbaijan GP

    BAKU, AZERBAIJAN - JUNE 10: Sergio Perez of Mexico driving the (11) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB18 on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Azerbaijan at Baku City Circuit on June 10, 2022 in Baku, Azerbaijan. (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202206100400 // Usage for editorial use only //

    Red Bull’s Sergio Perez ended up fastest in FP3 of F1 Azerbaijan GP with Max Verstappen in third behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

    There was a delay to start the FP3 session in F1 Azerbaijan GP due to barrier repair after a late crash in F2. It started 15 minutes later and was much smoother than FP1 and FP2 where there were multiple offs and wall brush moments as well.

    Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton was the one to go slightly off at Turn 1 as he and George Russell struggled with rear grip. There was a late off for Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas too which hampered the first fast lap of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

    He ended up third with a 1m43.449s lap as teammate Sergio Perez set the pace in FP3 of F1 Azerbaijan GP with a 1m43.170s lap with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc (1m43.240s) behind him in second. The Monegasque had a late off moment as well where he crashed last year.

    Teammate Carlos Sainz (1m43.596s) slotted in fourth from the McLaren pair of Lando Norris (1m44.418s) and Daniel Ricciardo (1m44.476s) with the two having a good run after a tough Friday. A late lap by ALphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly (1m44.491s) put him in seventh.

    Mercedes’ Russell (1m44.573s) was only eighth with Alpine’s Esteban Ocon (1m44.685s) in ninth from Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel (1m44.689s) in the Top 10. The Frenchman was in the line fire when Verstappen tried to go for a late lap but was hampered by him.

    Teammate Fernando Alonso did a late lap to 11th pushing Mercedes’ Hamilton to 12th where the team lowered the engine power due to mileage trouble. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll was 13th from Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu who beat his teammate.

    Haas’ Kevin Magnussen was 15th – who took his third MGU-K – from AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda, with Williams’ Alexander Albon in 17th from Haas’ Mick Schumacher, Alfa Romeo’s Bottas and Williams’ Nicholas Latifi to round out the 20 drivers.

    Here’s all what was said after Friday in F1 Azerbaijan GP