Russell set the pace in Azerbaijan GP FP3 despite red flags

Mercedes’ George Russell topped the timing boards in the final practice session of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, despite a couple of red-flag stoppages.

Feature image credit: Red Bull Content Pool

When the pit exit light ran green, to signal the beginning of the final practice session of the weekend, the Red Bull of Sergio Perez was the first to peel out onto the circuit.

The Mexican driver initially reported a ‘damp’ track but this didn’t stop the field from using the dry tyres.

However, the session wasn’t without issues as two red flags hindered running, provided by Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Haas’ Oliver Bearman.

Ocon’s red flag was early on as the Frenchman, once again, had power unit issues and was forced to pull over to the side of the track between turns 17 and 18.

Bearman was the second and final red flag of the session as he tried to bail out of his failed corner, at turn one, but it was too little, too late and he collided with the barrier. The Briton was able to climb out of the car and return to the pit lane.

So who finished where in FP3?

FP3 classification

Russell led the pace in final practice with a time of 1m 42.514s with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in second just one-hundredth of a second behind. McLaren’s championship contender, Lando Norris rounded out the top three, two-tenths behind.

Norris’ teammate, Oscar Piastri completed the session in fourth separating the two championship protagonists as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen rounded out the top five.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Perez were close on track and on the timing boards as the two finished sixth and seventh. The two were so close in fact that the two drivers were summoned to the stewards for an impeding infringement at turn 15, when Sainz nearly ran into the back of Perez.

The two Williams of Alexander Albon and Franco Colapinto, followed by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, completed the top 10 in eighth, ninth and 10th respectively.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll occupied 11th and 13th in the final classification, RB’s Yuki Tsunoda found himself sandwiched in between the two drivers.

In turn, this left RB’s Daniel Ricciardo and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly to round out the top 15.

Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg led the last classified drivers in 16th and he was followed by the two Kick Sauber drivers of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu, in 17th and 18th.

Ocon and Bearman completed the session in 19th and 20th without a lap time on the board. The latter completed two laps whilst Ocon only completed a sole lap.

Read more Formula 1 here:

• Verstappen fastest in disrupted FP1 at Azerbaijan GP
• Aston Martin F1 confirm Adrian Newey signing
• Adrian Newey’s future to be confirmed today?
• Bearman to step in for Banned Magnussen at Azerbaijan GP
• The wait continues on Adrian Newey future with announcement expected
• McLaren drivers describe Italian GP ‘painful’ and ‘frustrating’ after losing to Leclerc
• Kevin Magnussen banned from F1 Azerbaijan GP after hitting max penalty points

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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.

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.