Belgian GP: Perez sets fastest time at end of FP3
27th August 2022Red Bull’s Sergio Perez set the fastest time in FP3, 0.137 seconds faster than his teammate, Max Verstappen, who is set to start the race at the back of the grid.
How final practice unfolded…
As the pit exit light went green, Mercedes’ seven-time world champion, Lewis Hamilton, was the first driver to get out onto the Belgian circuit, Spa-Francorchamps.
As a result, the #44 driver was the first to set a lap time on the board. However, the Mercedes was quickly beaten by the likes of Williams’ Alexander Albon, McLaren’s Daniel Ricciardo and Perez.
By the end of the first 10 minutes, both Alfa Romeo’s topped the timing board with Guanyu Zhou on top with a 1:47.795, 0.127 seconds faster than his teammate, Valtteri Bottas. Aston Martin’s outgoing Sebastian Vettel rounded out the top three.
Belgian Sprint Race: Bearman secures win after red flag stop
As FP3 approached its halfway mark, the Ferrari’s jumped to the top of the timing board with Carlos Sainz on top of the timing sheets with a lap time of 1:46.461 while Albon seperated the two drivers in P2. Whereas Verstappen and Perez sat in P14 and P15, respectively.
Perez soon jumped to the top of the timing sheets, when the session crept into its final half an hour, with a time that was 0.489 seconds faster than Sainz. However, it wasn’t long before Verstappen topped the board with a 1:45.480, 0.492 seconds faster than his Mexican teammate.
Verstappen was noted, by race control, for failing to slow under yellow flags. As the Dutchman was on a fast lap, a yellow flag was issued in the final sector of Spa of which Verstappen blasted through.
However, race control announced there would be no further action in regards to the incident.
In the last 10 minutes of the session, Leclerc lost control of his F1-75 as he attempted to put in a flying lap. However, as he slipped through turn 13 his rear tyres lost grip and caused his car to skim across the gravel before it clobbered the barrier, on the corner exit.
Although the Monegasque was able to continue on, albeit with minor front wing damage, and get his car back to the pit lane: a red flag was brought out.
Despite the red flag, FP3 was still able to continue on with just under five minutes left on the clock.
On his final lap of the session, Perez pulled out a lap to jump to the top of the timing sheets, 0.137 seconds faster than Verstappen, in second.
Fastest three:
- Sergio Perez, Red Bull
- Max Verstappen, Red Bull
- Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
That’s it for the article: Belgian GP: Perez sets fastest time at end of FP3? Who do you think will secure pole position later on today? Let us know in the comments!
Read more Formula 1 here!
- Belgium GP FP1: Sainz heads Ferrari 1-2 in Spa
- F1 Belgian Grand Prix: Verstappen and Leclerc to start at the back of grid
- Alfa Romeo set to terminate partnership with Sauber
- Audi set to join F1 in 2026
To keep up to date with the latest news from Apex Motorsports, follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook!
Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.
I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
Kamron Kent
Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.
