Austria – Free Practice 3: Leclerc Shines, Red Bull Fears the Worst at Home
Charles Leclerc, visibly at ease in his single-seater, held off the Mercedes ahead of the qualifying session. The Monegasque completed his fastest practice lap in under 64 seconds.
The third free practice session was not easy for the teams, who were still seeking data and adjustments suited to this track and the weekend’s temperature conditions.
Charles Leclerc in full control.
At mid-session already, Charles Leclerc set the fastest time with 1:04.275, claiming the records in the 1st and 2nd sectors as well. He will be joined by Valtteri Bottas, the Mercedes driver equipped with a new suspension following his off-track excursion the previous day.
At the end of the session, the Ferrari driver will increase his pace to reclaim his spot with a lap time of 1:03.987 and a new record in the second sector. Sebastian Vettel in the second Scuderia Ferrari car couldn’t find the pace and will finish in 4th position, more than two-tenths off the benchmark time.
Lewis Hamilton, the weekend’s favorite, despite his 2nd place on the timesheet, had a complicated Saturday morning. The Silver Arrow No. 44 lacked grip on the rear axle, causing oversteer and difficulties in positioning at the top of the Spielberg circuit.
FP3 CLASSIFICATION:
Things are shaping up nicely for a really close qualifying battle 👍#AustrianGP 🇦🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/hx0MpGdIou
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 29, 2019
Red Bull struggling at home
The Austrian team certainly finished in 3rd place behind Ferrari and Mercedes, but the drivers complained about their machines throughout the session. Max Verstappen faced issues with settings and balance, finishing in 5th place, while Pierre Gasly had more severe engine power problems. Gasly reported a power loss at the start of the session before returning to the pits and going back out without finding a solution to his issue. The Frenchman ended up behind Lando Norris’s McLaren by a one-second margin.
Back to the pits for Pierre 😞
He radios in saying he’s got no power#AustrianGP 🇦🇹 #F1 pic.twitter.com/GCRHB84pEW
— Formula 1 (@F1) 29 juin 2019
McLaren, ready for the qualifiers
In the mid-field competition, McLaren held its ground as the best of the rest. The pace shown promises a tight battle with Red Bull. Considering Carlos Sainz’s penalty, which will see him start from the back of the grid, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Spaniard give a tow to Norris on the straights of the Red Bull Ring, as we saw on the first lap of these free practice sessions.
“🏁 FP3 comes to an end with @LandoNorris in P6, @Carlossainz55 P8. Time to get ready for qualifying. 👊 #AustrianGP 🇦🇹 pic.twitter.com/4wZWh0p6oR” — McLaren (@McLarenF1) June 29, 2019
