The final practice session in the 2018 Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix saw Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel stay ahead of the field at Hungaroring.
Ferrari kept its hold on the top spot with Vettel finishing ahead to lead FP3 from an improved run by the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas. The German clocked a 1m16.170s to beat Bottas (1m16.229s) by 0.059s.
The Finn’s session wasn’t a smoothest one like Lewis Hamilton (1m16.749s) as both spun at the same chicane in Turn 6 after losing the rear when they turned left. Both had a 360 degree spin, while Hamilton had his on the track, Bottas went off to brush the barrier.
Fortunately, the bump was not huge as Bottas continued on in the session. Hamilton finished fourth in the session behind Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen (1m16.373s as the German manufacturer managed to get ahead of the Red Bull Racing cars.
Raikkonen was looking good to topple Vettel but for a lock-up on his quick lap meaning he was only third. After a good showing on Friday, Red Bulls were only fifth and sixth with Daniel Ricciardo (1m16.803s) leading Max Verstappen (1m16.946s) after a late lap.
The best of the rest honours went to the Renault drivers with Carlos Sainz (1m17.754s) managing to beat Nico Hulkenberg (1m18.083s) on his last attempt with Haas’ Romain Grosjean (1m18.084s) demoted to ninth – only 0.001s separating the latter two.
Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly (1m18.139s) rounding the Top 10. In an improved run from Toro Rosso, Brendon Hartley (1m18.252s) also did well to be 12th behind Haas’ Kevin Magnussen (1m18.230s) with Sauber’s Charles Leclerc (1m18.376s) in 13th.
The Monegasque had a slight moment with Verstappen in the session for which Leclerc duly apologised after the Dutchman brake-tested him in the corner. McLaren and Force India struggled with Fernando Alonso (1m18.467s) 14th and Esteban Ocon (1m18.512s) 15th.
For Williams’ Sergey Sirotkin (1m18.630s), it was a better run to be 16th ahead of McLaren’s Stoffel Vandoorne (1m18.798s), Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson (1m18.842s), Force India’s Sergio Perez (1m18.962s) and Williams’ Lance Stroll (1m19.132s).
Vandoorne had a floor change mid-session after his car has been fitted with a brand new chassis amid troubles in the last two race weekends. Meanwhile, Ericsson held on well in FP3 after multiple spins on Friday.