In a dramatic final practice session ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, George Russell emerged as the fastest driver. Leading Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris in a session marred by weather-related challenges and on-track incidents.
The build-up to FP3 saw a shift in weather conditions from the bright and warm days of FP1 and FP2 to overcast skies and light drizzle, adding a layer of complexity to the already slippery Baku City Circuit. Drivers faced reduced grip levels, with some reporting that the track felt “a little bit damp.”
As the session began, drivers cautiously navigated the circuit, and the early part of FP3 was relatively quiet. However, the calm was disrupted when Esteban Ocon’s Alpine ground to a halt in the final sector. Ocon, who had faced a disrupted Friday session due to a new power unit installation. Was unable to return to the pits, resulting in a red flag as Race Control responded to the incident.
Following the red flag, and with intermittent rain continuing, the session saw a flurry of activity as drivers sought to set competitive lap times. Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto briefly led the timesheets with Williams cars before Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz overtook them.
Oscar Piastri and Nico Hulkenberg soon moved into contention, but the session faced another interruption when Haas driver Oliver Bearman crashed at Turn 1. The F2 driver misjudged his approach and collided with the barriers, resulting in a second red flag. Bearman expressed his frustration over the radio, apologizing for the damage caused.
When the session resumed with about 20 minutes remaining, Piastri initially set the fastest time with a 1m 42.749s. However, Leclerc soon improved upon this, setting a new benchmark of 1m 42.564s despite navigating through yellow flag zones. Norris also posted a competitive time, placing him just behind Piastri. While Verstappen secured fourth and Russell, despite experiencing power unit and balance issues, climbed to fifth.
In the closing moments, Russell made a decisive push for the top spot, setting a time of 1m 42.514s to finish marginally ahead of Leclerc. Norris and Piastri dropped to third and fourth, respectively, while Verstappen completed the top five. Sainz and Perez followed in sixth and seventh, with the latter involved in a late incident at Turn 15 that briefly hindered his progress.
Williams drivers Albon and Colapinto delivered strong performances, finishing eighth and ninth. Lewis Hamilton placed tenth in the second Mercedes, followed by Fernando Alonso, Yuki Tsunoda, Lance Stroll, and Daniel Ricciardo. The Alpine and Haas cars of Pierre Gasly and Nico Hulkenberg rounded out the top 15.
Sauber drivers Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu finished 17th and 18th, respectively. Ocon and Bearman, who were sidelined due to their earlier issues, did not set times.
Attention now shifts to qualifying, which will commence at 16:00 local time, promising to add more excitement to the weekend’s action.
