Gasly tops wet final Turkish GP practice, Hamilton P18

AlphaTauri driver Pierre Gasly topped the wet-weather third Formula 1 practice for the Turkish Grand Prix.

Key moments:

> Gasly leads Red Bull duo

> Hamilton 18th after doing just five laps

> Lots of drivers spinning

> Russell brings out red flag

Saturday morning rain left the track soaked for the start of the session, threatening an extended period of no running – but the two AlphaTauris headed out for flying laps on the wet tyres less than 10 minutes into the session, and were followed by a gaggle of rival cars.

After a few laps, the wets overwhelmingly made way for the intermediate compound, but while the green-walled compound looked to offer a pace advantage it also proved less stable – with Gasly’s AlphaTauri and Nikita Mazepin’s Haas both having high-speed spins through the fast Turn 11 right-hander, while George Russell went off at the sweeping Turn 2, getting his Williams FW43B beached in the gravel and bringing out the red flag.

"I'm beached, engine off" says George Russell

He is off at Turn 2, after spinning as soon as he got onto the power. The session is currently red flagged#TurkishGP 🇹🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/0o7DBpGKoY

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 9, 2021

Verstappen, who didn’t run at all prior to the Russell red flag, emerged soon after the short stoppage and duly went quickest with his first flyer, before looping around at the Turn 9 left-hander on his very next attempt – in what he jovially described as “a nice 360”.

"Nice 360!" says Max 😅

He goes full circle and carries on, almost as if nothing ever happened! He is currently in P1#TurkishGP 🇹🇷 #F1 pic.twitter.com/DdCXLxpWxi

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 9, 2021

The same corner then sent both Sebastian Vettel’s Aston Martin and his former team-mate Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari for a spin a few minutes later.

Verstappen retreated into the pits a few laps into his pace-setting run, and was soon overhauled by both team-mate Sergio Perez and Gasly, who ended up out front on 1m30.447s.

And while Verstappen did rejoin late on to go for another push lap, he could only overhaul Perez, staying behind his former French team-mate.

Carlos Sainz, who will start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid, took fourth ahead of fellow Ferrari driver Leclerc, who even went as far as suggesting a late exit on slick tyres but ultimately didn’t go through with it.

Alpine’s Fernando Alonso completed the top six, despite a late Turn 1 off that left his A521 bouncing through the gravel.

Valtteri Bottas was the lead Mercedes in ninth, with points-leading team-mate Lewis Hamilton – set to serve a 10-place grid penalty fr an engine change – opting for minimal running and ending up three seconds off the pace in 18th.

Practice 3 Results