Azerbaijan Grand Prix – Free Practice 3: Gasly on his way to pole position?

Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin are the first to take off and set a time this Saturday at Baku. The first time is set at 1:48.197 by Schumacher while Mazepin is already attacking, 2 seconds faster.

The first 20 minutes are quite calm. There is a bit of wind on the track but much less than yesterday. The track has been cleaned because the F2 cars raced this morning but it is still slippery and yellow flags are coming one after the other.

Bottas goes straight at turn 3 into the escape area. The same goes for Max Verstappen at the next corner.

The drivers try several types of tires but are mainly on hard or medium compounds. Soft tires are not used because the heat doesn’t help to preserve them.

Verstappen knocked out after 20 minutes

Like Charles Leclerc yesterday, Max Verstappen, who had already had a scare by causing a yellow flag, goes too wide at turn 15 and hits the tecpro. He damages his front wing, but unlike Leclerc, he cannot continue because his suspension is also broken.

The red flag is deployed on the track and everyone goes back to remove the Red Bull, which will remain stuck on the breakdown truck until the end of the session. Qualifying is only 2 hours later, so we will have to work quickly to repair the Red Bull.

Hier nous étions au virage 15 quand Leclerc a tapé et que Latifi était en panne. Il n’y a pas de solution de repli sans drapeau rouge. Le pilote doit rentrer à pied en longeant le circuit. Verstappen a eu plus de chance en prenant le taxi Medical Car ! #F1 #BakuGP #F1inside

— Motors Inside F1 (@MotorsInside) June 5, 2021

Last 20 minutes on the attack

The drivers are on the attack in Baku and track temperatures of over 50 degrees are not helping to cool the tires. Many drivers brake too late and go straight into the escape routes. Particularly at turns 3, 4, and 15.

With 10 minutes left in the session, a hydraulic failure prematurely ends George Russell’s testing with Williams. The Virtual Safety Car is deployed to allow for the car to be removed.

Some manage to sign clean laps without slipstream. Pierre Gasly sets the fastest time in 1:42.251, three tenths ahead of Sergio Perez’s Red Bull.

Hamilton set the third fastest time in 1:42.697, but the radio informs his teammate that slipstreaming played a role in 6 tenths of that time. Valterri Bottas, helpless, can only achieve the 13th fastest time.

The Ferraris are in 4th and 5th position. Sainz went straight at turn 15 but Leclerc didn’t get caught this time.

Tsunoda signs the 8th time sandwiched between the Alpines. The McLarens are also in the top 10.

The highest top speed is attributed to Alfa Romeo with 344 km/h for Räikkönen at the finish line.

The results of Free Practice 3 in Baku