Austria – Free Practice 3: Vettel takes the lead, brake failure for Hamilton at the end of the session
At the time of the final adjustments before the qualifications, the spots were highly coveted at all levels of the hierarchy. Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton continued their duel, and the German took the lead this morning with a new track record. Hamilton encountered a major issue at the end of the session with a brake failure at turn 3, fortunately without any physical or material consequences.
Like a ritual, the first drivers to approach the green light are Grosjean and Magnussen, with the Haas cars regularly being the first to hit the track during practice sessions. Just out of the pits, Carlos Sainz’s Toro Rosso came to a halt at the side of the track with its engine off, causing a yellow flag in sector 1.
Unfortunately for him, it was impossible to restart the Renault engine, his session is over. Having covered 200 meters, the poor Spaniard did better than Sergey Sirotkin in Russia, who had nearly completed a lap.
YELLOW FLAG
SAI stops out on track #AustrianGP 🇦🇹 #F1 #FP3 pic.twitter.com/Jmzs2C9JJ6
— Formula 1 (@F1) 8 juillet 2017
After this incident, the drivers took to the clear track, Max Verstappen took the opportunity to set an initial time of 1’06″387, with Daniel Ricciardo following 169 thousandths behind. Bad news for Alonso, after yesterday’s session, the MGU-H showed signs of weakness, and McLaren decided to change the entire block of the MCL32. The Spaniard is once again deprived of the Spec 3 Honda engine block for this weekend.
First update after 20 minutes of a relatively calm session: Verstappen is still in the lead with a time of 1″06’015, Vettel follows closely, then Ricciardo, Bottas, Kvyat, Palmer, Ocon, Alonso, Grosjean, Magnussen, Pérez, Vandoorne, Hülkenberg, Massa, Hamilton, Stroll, Ericsson, Wehrlein, Räikkönen, and Sainz.
The final preparations for the qualifications are underway and hostilities are launched at the forefront. Vettel responded this morning by improving the record set by Hamilton yesterday with a time of 1’05″384, relegating Bottas to 3 tenths and Hamilton to 5.
But he isn’t there for long…
VET posts a 1:05.384 to top the charts 👀#AustrianGP 🇦🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/kcLhCIMpdx
— Formula 1 (@F1) 8 juillet 2017
In the middle of the field, the hierarchy is reversed in certain teams, Jolyon Palmer puts 8 tenths on Nico Hülkenberg and Esteban Ocon puts 5 tenths on Sergio Pérez. In the pits, good news in the Toro Rosso garage, Carlos Sainz should be able to get back on track for the second half of the session.
Kevin Magnussen risks getting an earful at the end of the session; initially, he hinders Hamilton on a flying lap and later, on his in-lap, he doesn’t hurry and blocks Räikkönen, who complains about it on the radio. Tough weekend for Williams, with Massa and Stroll trailing at the back of the pack in 17th and 18th positions ahead of the Saubers.
The final third of the session has begun, and Hamilton is back on the clock hunt, quickly followed by Vettel a few seconds later. The Briton takes the advantage by 23 thousandths, with Vettel trailing by almost 5 tenths in this attempt. In the middle of the table, Alonso improves and is in 10th place, 4 thousandths behind Palmer.
In a second attempt, Vettel fails again, hindered by Hamilton who was on a slow lap to cool his tires. The German sticks his hand out of the cockpit to express his displeasure to the Briton. Galvanized, Vettel manages to complete a clear lap and sets a blistering time of 1’05.092.
#Seb5 1:05.092! #AustrianGP #FP3 pic.twitter.com/rHsR9Qxms4
— Scuderia Ferrari (@ScuderiaFerrari) 8 juillet 2017
We can note that in the midfield of the pack the spots will be highly contested in qualifying this afternoon, with less than a tenth of a second between Kvyat in 8th and Alonso in 12th. Yellow flag in sector 2, at turn 3 Hamilton is in the run-off area, the Brit returns to the track but enters slowly in 2nd gear. During the replay, we can see at least the right front brake has failed, with a plume of carbon coming from the wheel.
HAM is back in the garage
Could be a problem with the brakes? 😮#AustrianGP 🇦🇹 #F1 #FP3 pic.twitter.com/27Boy41N2K
— Formula 1 (@F1) 8 juillet 2017
The checkered flag is approaching and the hierarchy is once again shaken beyond the top 5, while in the Mercedes garage, the dismantling of the incriminated wheel shows an empty brake disc slot, as it exploded under braking.
The complete ranking at the end of the session:
PROVISIONAL CLASSIFICATION (END OF FP3)#AustrianGP 🇦🇹 #F1 #FP3 pic.twitter.com/qO1fLDIhH8
— Formula 1 (@F1) 8 juillet 2017
