Hungary – Free Practice 3: Hamilton beats Verstappen at the last moment
It's a genuine competition similar to a Q3 that was experienced during this 3rd practice session in Hungary. The timing sheet kept changing until the last seconds of the session, which saw Lewis Hamilton snatch first position from Max Verstappen with a time of 1:16.084, just 13 thousandths of a second ahead.
If the weather was mild during this session with sunny conditions, 25 degrees in the air and 42 degrees on the track, another event disrupted the conditions on the track. The session started with a 10-minute delay due to an incident during the previous Formula 2 session. An engine failure caused an oil spill on a portion of turn number 5, thus shortening the free practice session 3. This decision to shorten the session greatly displeased the drivers and teams as this session is the prelude to the preparation for qualifications.
SAFETY CAR DEPLOYED (LAP 35/37)
Ralph Boschung’s engine gives way just a few laps from the finish#HungarianGP 🇭🇺 #F2 pic.twitter.com/RFqIpRUfkA
— Formula 2 (@FIA_F2) 3 août 2019
The drivers set off on a track sprinkled with absorbent compound, creating large clouds of dust with each pass. The top teams thus decided not to take off until the track conditions improved.
Nobody forecasted snow on Turn 4? ☃️#F1 #HungarianGP 🇭🇺 pic.twitter.com/csfsCzgRMj
— Formula 1 (@F1) 3 août 2019
McLaren set the pace for this session with a lap time of 1:18.705 by Lando Norris. A time that Charles Leclerc immediately beat by 0.4 seconds. The teams focused primarily on qualifying lap simulations. Indeed, starting position is crucial on the Hungarian circuit where overtaking opportunities are limited.
Vettel, very much off the pace, claimed he could no longer recognize his car, as it is so difficult to handle in turns, while speaking to his engineers over the radio.
After topping the timesheet for the first 15 minutes of the session, Ferrari saw a flying Max Verstappen emerge on worn soft tires to set a time of 1:17.035.
The Dutchman hasn’t stopped surprising us. After getting into a new car, he set the first track record at 1:16.097 before it was beaten in the final seconds of the session by Lewis Hamilton.
CLASSIFICIATION: END OF FP3
Lewis Hamilton ends the third practice session fastest at the Hungaroring, but the chasing pack are not far behind 🧐#F1 #HungarianGP 🇭🇺 pic.twitter.com/I6LObZRcBm
— Formula 1 (@F1) 3 août 2019
Witness to great competition among the top teams, the records in the 3 sectors are shared respectively by the Ferrari, Red Bull, and Mercedes teams.
FASTEST SECTORS 🚀
FP3’s three fastest drivers share the Fastest Sectors spoils
Qualifying promises to be exciting! 😃#F1 #HungarianGP 🇭🇺 pic.twitter.com/F1VMnNcp7f
— Formula 1 (@F1) 3 août 2019
Another highlight of this session is McLaren’s blazing performance. Lando Norris kept challenging the times of the top teams throughout these tests, ending as the best of the rest less than 7 tenths off Hamilton’s Silver Arrow.
The qualifying sessions promise to be intense as the gaps are so tight between the leading teams, especially since a few raindrops are expected in the early afternoon.
