Verstappen bests Leclerc as Mercedes FLOUNDER – Miami GP FP3
Verstappen bests Leclerc as Mercedes FLOUNDER – Miami GP FP3
Max Verstappen held off Charles Leclerc to finish fastest in the final practice session of the weekend at the Miami Grand Prix.
The championship leader set an impressive pace, lapping a time of 1:27.535 seconds around the Baku City Circuit, fending off Leclerc by 0.406secs.
While the top three felt predictable, unexpected strong performances from Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly in the Alpines saw the team take fifth and sixth on the leaderboard.
Ferrari also performed well, with Leclerc’s second place followed by team-mate Carlos Sainz in fourth.
However, some teams just couldn’t find the pace, with Mercedes and McLaren slipping down the rankings.
Lewis Hamilton couldn't make it into the top 10, while the McLarens ran in 18th and 19th by the end of the session.
Windy conditions
The weather was gusty out on track, leading several cars to wobble and teams to warn drivers of the conditions.
Perhaps as a by-product of the windy weather, several drivers made small mistakes around tough turns like 17. Alex Albon in the Williams and Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin both ran wide there.
Mercedes in trouble
Both Mercedes drivers complained of vibrations and a lack of pace throughout the session, and neither managed a time to scare the top four.
At the end of the session, Hamilton was running 13th and Russell 10th.
Vibrations were bothering Hamilton early in the session – he came over the radio to say: “Front tyres are vibrating already.”
Russell felt similarly but felt the issue came from a different sourcing, saying later on: “Lots of vibrations on the steering rack through that high speed.”
When it came to speed, neither driver felt satisfied. Hamilton said over the radio: “We seem to be losing a lot more on the straights.”
Russell felt similarly, saying: “Balance is OK, just struggling for overall pace.”
Both drivers must have their fingers crossed that the promised Imola upgrades can bring out the true speed of the car.
Qualifying simulations
As the clock dipped below the 10-minute point, all the drivers were on soft tyres and several made qualifying simulation laps, though Verstappen held off at the end of the session.
Gasly and Ocon made impressive gains, holding fifth and fourth until they were knocked further down the grid at the last minute by Leclerc's Ferrari.
In the final 10 minutes, however, several cars didn’t fare too well. Nico Hulkenberg clipped the kerb 'quite badly' and was concerned about the floor of his car, while Lando Norris experienced a huge lock up.
Yuki Tsunoda expressed frustration at his car, yelling over the radio: “It’s incredible, it’s so understeer!”
Logan Sargeant also found it tough, saying: “I’m really struggling to drive this at the moment. The balance is all over the place.”
Miami Grand Prix free practice 3 results
🏁 CLASSIFICATION (END OF FP3) 🏁
— Formula 1 (@F1) May 6, 2023
It's a Red Bull-Ferrari show at the top of the timesheets in final practice... up next: qualifying!#MiamiGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/oYqNuRuFhV
READ MORE: Miami Grand Prix could be a LOTTERY as F1 tyre chief reveals rain fears
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
EXCLUSIVE: Meeting F1's Max Verstappen - Red Bull star’s ‘cool’ canteen encounter
- 17 minutes ago
Alonso RIDICULES major FIA decision
- 1 hour ago
F1 News Today: F1 set for TAKEOVER worth 'billions' as Ricciardo 'ultimatum' rumours addressed by Marko
- 2 hours ago
Top manufacturer takes HUGE step towards F1 return
- Today 14:00
McLaren star sets staggering new F1 RECORD
- Today 12:57
Hamilton relationship 'ENDS' as F1 legend looks for celebrity date
- Today 11:57
F1 Race Calendar
-
GP BAHRAIN
29 Feb - 2 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP SAUDI ARABIA
7 - 9 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP AUSTRALIA
22 - 24 Mar
Carlos Sainz
- GP JAPAN 5 - 7 Apr
- GP CHINA 19 - 21 Apr
- GP USA 3 - 6 May
- GP ITALY 17 - 19 May
- GP MONACO 24 - 26 May
Related news
Miami GP organiser opens up on MAJOR plans to reinvent race
Tennis legend Federer addresses INFAMOUS Jackie Stewart moment at Miami GP
F1 in the US dealt HUGE blow by one Miami GP stat
Miami Grand Prix wasn't boring but F1 is... and there is a KEY reason why
F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860