Mclaren displayed consistent speed during FP3 in Saudi Arabia, racing ahead of the competition in the final practice before qualifying.
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Green Light For FP3
Beginning with the track temperature at over 50°C, Gabriel Bortoleto was the first to appear on track. Yuki Tsunoda’s car was still under intensive repairs after his crash in FP2 yesterday as the session commenced, leaving him in the garage until later in the session.
Jack Doohan and Oliver Bearman led the grid using the soft tyres. Ferrari and Mclaren sent their drivers out on softs too, as the track cooled and became more representative of conditions for qualifying later in the afternoon.
Early Incidents
Jack Doohan was flagged for failure to follow race director’s instructions, as he crossed the line on pit entry multiple times. The incident will be investigated after the session, an identical issue faced by Liam Lawson in FP1 yesterday. Doohan was visibly confused, asking his team for clarification on the issue on the team radio.
Shortly after, Liam Lawson went wide in his Racing Bull. Yuki Tsunoda was quick to match suit in his Red Bull, locking up after entering the session almost 25 minutes late. Kimi Antonelli also had a scare, scraping the floor of his Mercedes along a chicane.
Mclaren Lead the Charge
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris swapped the first and second positions between themselves after entering the session, with Piastri leading on a 1.28.470 with 30 minutes to go. Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc seemed hot on their heels, but failed to find that next level of speed.
Yuki Tsunoda shot up the table to meet his teammate in fifth as the session reached the halfway point. However, he was quickly followed by George Russell, demonstrating the competitiveness of his Mercedes.
Isack Hadjar had an unusual complaint for his team, letting his team know that his drinks system was causing havoc and letting water loose in his helmet.
Final Stretch
Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz displayed considerable speed in both their Williams, reaching sixth and seventh respectively with fifteen minutes to go. Both Ferraris dropped back, with Leclerc finishing fifth and Hamilton in twelfth as he struggled to find pace. This could diminish hopes for the seven-time world champion, who expressed upset yesterday over pace.
As the session concluded, Leclerc echoed his teammate’s concern for pace this weekend, stating that he felt there wasn’t more to extract from the car. This could be cause for concern for Ferrari heading into qualifying, as they fall behind other front-running teams.
Piastri suddenly stormed through with a flying lap, solidifying his first place with a lap time of 1.27.513. Nearing the end, he had a significant wobble, flying over the curb as he lost grip. Norris managed to secure first place back, completing a lap of 1.27.489. Russell found himself in familiar territory, landing himself in third and over 6 tenths behind both Mclarens.
Featured Image Photo By Mclaren Racing Media