Belgian GP FP3: Everything you need to know

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen headed a wet-weather third Formula 1 practice session ahead of the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

KEY MOMENTS

– Verstappen leads Red Bull 1-2

– Norris provides only slick-tyre lap

– Raikkonen thwarted by reported brake failure

After the preceding Formula 3 race ran in drenched conditions (and had even been delayed), the track remained sufficiently wet for the start of FP3 to prompt not only a plethora of intermediate-tyre running, but even some wet-tyre laps courtesy of the two Haas cars.

Conditions on track are tricky 😮#BelgianGP 🇧🇪 @ValtteriBottas pic.twitter.com/KjwiNK5M7H

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 28, 2021

The track dried significantly over the first half of the session, but rain briefly picked back up and soaked the track once more just as slicks had appeared to be possibility.

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton held the lead early on but was eventually usurped by the two Red Bulls, with Verstappen’s 1m56.924s leaving him nearly a second clear of team-mate Sergio Perez.

McLaren’s Lando Norris, who wound up classified fourth behind Hamilton, did make a surprise slick-tyre run late on but had a sideways twitch immediately coming out of the pits and tiptoed around the track before returning to the pits at the earliest opportunity.

Sun then cloud within a few hundred metres…

Classic Spa! #BelgianGP 🇧🇪 #F1 pic.twitter.com/xTj3Zf08LZ

— Formula 1 (@F1) August 28, 2021

Alpine driver Esteban Ocon left the bulk of his running later than most, and seemed to benefit from a dryer track in moving up to fifth place, followed by Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) and Pierre Gasly (AlphaTauri), the latter having a spin towards the end of the session.

Only four drivers – Perez, Hamilton, Williams driver George Russell and Alfa Romeo’s Kimi Raikkonen – didn’t make it to double digit laps in the session, with Raikkonen limited to just three after reporting a brake failure.

Practice 3 Results