Verstappen FUMES as Ferrari keep Red Bull off top spot in Singapore Grand Prix FP3

Carlos Sainz went fastest during the final practice session ahead of qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix, as Max Verstappen could not hide his frustration after he suffered further issues at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Sainz's lap time of 1:32.065s could not be beaten, as George Russell and Lando Norris followed the Spaniard in second and third respectively.

Charles Leclerc could not make it three successive one-twos for Ferrari as he went fifth fastest, with Verstappen just edging out the other Ferrari to claim fourth.

And the final day-light session of the weekend – although not entirely indicative of what can be expected during both qualifying and the race under the lights – certainly gave plenty of talking points in the aftermath.

Red Bull issues persist

After Ferrari took the fight to Red Bull during Friday's practice sessions, all eyes were on Verstappen and whether he could respond to their impressive pace in the final session before qualifying.

READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Albon EXCITED by new Williams F1 project as star driver enjoys extra responsibility

The two-time world champion initially looked far more comfortable in his Red Bull on Saturday compared to the day before, yet there were still signs that things were not all going his way.

Aa bizarre moment during the early stages of FP3 saw Verstappen veer off track – at a rather pedestrian pace – before eventually spinning the car around at the escape road of Turn 14.

And in a similar theme to Friday's running, it did not take long before the Dutchman revealed that he was not best pleased with his setup, taking to the team radio for an X-rated complaint over his upshifts that he would eventually label as 'unacceptable'.

Perez meanwhile also had issues regarding the rear of his RB19, insisting that it felt 'on the edge', as the Mexican fought to keep control of his car during FP3.

Ferrari's internal battle

As was the case in Monza, Ferrari's impressive pace led to a healthy, albeit nail-biting, competition between Leclerc and Sainz.

And as FP3 got underway, the narrative slowly started to shift away from Ferrari's speed as a team, but more specifically which of the two drivers could go fastest.

Although Leclerc set a purple first sector in the dying stages of the session, the Monegasque driver had to abort his lap, ensuring that Sainz had bragging rights heading into qualifying later today.

Mercedes ones to watch?

It has been a fairly quiet weekend for the Silver Arrows so far, with both Ferrari and Red Bull stealing the limelight.

Mercedes appear to be fighting for the 'best of the rest', hoping that Ferrari or Red Bull slip up to allow them to possibly steal a podium place.

Yet Russell and Hamilton showed glimpses of promise as they went top of the first and second on the timesheets halfway through FP3.

And Russell was able to maintain his competitive pace, rounding off the session with an impressive second fastest time overall.

McLaren competitive

Norris' McLaren arrived in Singapore with further upgrades and its pace was clear to see as the soft tyres came on at the end of the session.

The 23-year-old went fastest on the soft rubber with just 15 minutes left in FP3, eventually recording the third fastest time overall.

Oscar Piastri, who will have to wait until the Japanese Grand Prix next time out to enjoy the full range of Norris' upgrades, ended the session in seventh.

The teams will now be hard at work in the final few hours before Saturday's crucial qualifying at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Singapore Grand Prix FP3 practice results - Saturday September 16

1. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari): 1:32.065sec

2. George Russell (Mercedes): +0.069s

3. Lando Norris (McLaren): +0.238s

4. Max Verstappen (Red Bull): +0.313s

5. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): +0.316s

6. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): +0.470s

7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren): +0.665s

8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull): +0.719s

9. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas): +0.831s

10. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri): +0.880s

11. Kevin Magnussen (Haas): +0.905s

12. Esteban Ocon (Alpine): +0.914s

13. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin): +0.986s

14. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin): +1.061s

15. Pierre Gasly (Alpine): +1.286s

16. Liam Lawson (AlphaTauri): +1.292s

17. Alex Albon (Williams): +1.305s

18. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo): +1.475s

19. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo): +1.572s

20. Logan Sargeant (Williams): +1.643s

READ MORE: EXCLUSIVE: Verstappen setup quirk which allows Red Bull to make car even fasters

Written by

Matthew Hobkinson - Lead Editor

After four years working for a Lloyd's of London insurance syndicate, lockdown gave Matt the chance to chase a career in sports journalism - he hasn't looked back. Matt has found a home here at GPFans where he can showcase the weird and wonderful world of F1 to the millions of fans around the world who are just as passionate as he is about the best sport in the world.

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