FP3 has confirmed that Ferrari is the team to watch out for in qualifying at the Australian Grand Prix. However, it won’t be an easy task for the Reds as Max Verstappen in the Red Bull is expected to give Charles Leclerc a tough challenge in Q3 later today. Carlos Sainz also showed impressive pace, securing the third fastest time.
Despite a difficult Friday and a shaky start in FP3, Mercedes seemed to make improvements as Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished fourth and fifth respectively. The question now is whether the Silver/Black Arrows can maintain their performance in qualifying or if McLaren and Aston Martin have something different in mind.
Qualifying is expected to be intense and thrilling, with the top ten drivers in FP3 all within a second of each other. The smallest of margins will have a significant impact on who advances from Q1 and who doesn’t.
Interestingly, the drivers struggled to improve their lap times using the Soft tires compared to the Mediums. The best performance was often achieved on the second or third hot lap with the Mediums providing better results.
The first day of action in Australia proved to be exciting, with drivers realizing that mistakes will be costly at Albert Park. Unlike other circuits, there are no forgiving run-off areas or painted kerbs here, only gravel, grass, and real kerbs.
Ferrari seems determined to challenge Red Bull at Albert Park, as evident from their strong pace in the second practice session. However, it would be unwise to underestimate Verstappen and his superior race pace in the RB20.
On the other hand, Mercedes is facing difficulties, with Hamilton struggling due to a wrong setup on the W15. The team hopes to make improvements in the final practice session and ahead of qualifying.
While Aston Martin looks promising, McLaren is also showing signs of competitiveness. The battle for the title of the third fastest team in qualifying will be interesting to watch.
Unfortunately, Williams is experiencing a disastrous situation, with no spare chassis available. The driver who didn’t crash had to give his car to the driver who did. These are not the kind of issues a team boss wants to deal with during a race weekend, but James Vowles finds himself in such a predicament. He needs to act quickly.
Aside from that, Sainz appears to be in good shape for the race, while Oliver Bearman will likely only experience jet lag from his trip to Melbourne.
The big question now is how the overall picture will look after FP3.
The final practice session kicked off with cloudy conditions and a track temperature of 26 degrees Celsius, while the ambient temperature stood at 18 degrees.
Leading the pack for the start of the session was Oscar Piastri, followed by his teammate Lando Norris. After completing an outlap, Piastri, the local hero, quickly returned to the pits.
Soon, Sergio Perez joined the action, along with Verstappen, both Aston Martins, and the Saubers, while the rest of the drivers remained in their garages.
Eventually, only the Red Bulls were out on track, with Verstappen expressing frustration over his brakes not functioning properly. Despite the issue, he continued to push and set a lap time that was six tenths faster than Perez’s. Perez, in turn, also complained about his brakes lacking bite.
The Mexican driver then improved his time by six tenths, surpassing his teammate. At that moment, they were the only two drivers on the track. Verstappen continued to go even faster.
In the meantime, Sainz joined the Red Bulls and posted the third fastest time, with his teammate Leclerc also out on track, along with Williams’ Alex Albon.
Leclerc managed to secure the third fastest time on his first attempt, while Sainz went for another try. At this point, only the Ferraris and Albon were still on the track, more than 15 minutes into the session.
However, Hamilton soon made an appearance, using Soft tyres on his W15 to go for a timed lap. Unfortunately, he was over 1.5 seconds slower than Verstappen, who was leading the pack at that point using Medium tyres. Hamilton was informed of the significant time difference and was naturally taken aback.
As the session reached the 20-minute mark, more cars started to make their way onto the track. Sainz set the fastest time at that point using Medium tyres, while Russell completed his first lap on Softs, which was over 1.6 seconds slower than Sainz’s time.
Approaching the midway point of the session, the track became busier, with all cars out on track completing their laps.
Leclerc had a slight moment during the penultimate lap when the car’s rear stepped out as soon as he hit the throttle. However, he managed to regain control and continued on his way.
Hamilton was informed that he was 1.3 seconds off the pace and questioned where he was losing time. He was then informed that he was losing seven tenths on the straights. He later improved his time, reducing the gap to seven tenths, but the Mercedes car did not seem to perform well on the track.
Meanwhile, Nico Hulkenberg reported discomfort in his helmet, stating that too much air was getting in. He requested a change to address the issue.
Apart from the Red Bulls, Ferraris, and Albon, who were using Medium tyres, all other cars were running on Soft tyres by the 30-minute mark.
Albon had a brief moment when he lost control of the car’s rear at Turn 9, but fortunately, he managed to keep the car on track. He reported that the rear tires were worn out.
In the end, Piastri crossed the finish line in third place, showcasing impressive pace as the local driver.
Piastri moves into third place with less than 20 minutes remaining, after being informed that he has set the fastest time in the first sector. He playfully remarks, “It’s incredible what you can achieve when you stop making foolish mistakes at Turn 1.”
Meanwhile, Russell expresses his frustration at repeatedly encountering his teammate on the track. He states, “Every time I come across Lewis.”
As the final ten minutes approach, the track becomes even busier as drivers focus on qualifying runs, utilizing Soft tires. Hamilton appears to be improving his lap times, although onboard footage reveals that he is exerting significant effort to control his W15. Russell, on the other hand, seems more satisfied with his car’s performance.
Interestingly, it appears that drivers are not easily finding additional speed on the Soft tires. Verstappen reports that he is unable to go faster in the high-speed corners using this tire compound. Sainz, likewise, fails to improve his lap time with the Softs compared to his previous best time on Mediums.
The session concludes with practice starts.
Leclerc sets the fastest time in FP3, clocking in at 1:16.714. This time is slightly quicker than Verstappen’s pole time of 2023 at Albert Park.
Verstappen finishes 0.020s behind in second place, with Sainz trailing a further 0.057s behind in third.
Report in progress…