Report & Results Third Free Practice 2024 Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix

Event: Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix
Track: Baku street circuit

Weather: dry  27.1°C
Tarmac: dry  31.7°C
Humidity: 39%
Wind: 2.8 m/s South

Russell Tops Session Amid Drama in Baku

The final practice session before the 2024 Azerbaijan Grand Prix brought high drama on the streets of Baku, with George Russell emerging as the fastest driver. It was a chaotic session, plagued by yellow and red flags, crashes, and on-track disputes, leaving teams scrambling for clean laps ahead of qualifying.

Russell Bounces Back with Top Time

After a challenging Friday, George Russell showed remarkable form in FP3, setting the fastest lap with a time of 1m 42.514s. He edged out Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by just 0.013s, with McLaren's Lando Norris 0.223s behind in third. This marked a significant turnaround for Russell, who had struggled with performance issues on Friday.

Mercedes sent Russell out on fresh soft tyres late in the session, and he was able to capitalize on the evolving track conditions to secure the top spot. His teammate Lewis Hamilton, who had also been fast throughout the weekend, focused more on long runs, leaving him slightly down the order in FP3.

Red Flags and Crashes Disrupt the Session

The session was heavily interrupted by two red flags. The first came when Alpine’s Esteban Ocon stopped on track with a technical issue, marking another frustrating moment for the Frenchman after a power unit problem on Friday. His stoppage brought out the first red flag, leaving Alpine with concerns about making it to qualifying.

Later, Haas’ Oliver Bearman added to the chaos by crashing into the barriers at Turn 1, damaging his front-left suspension and scattering debris across the track. Bearman, standing in for Kevin Magnussen, was left frustrated after a strong showing in earlier sessions. His incident triggered the second red flag, cutting short several flying laps and raising concerns about yellow flags during qualifying.

Leclerc and Norris Show Pace

Leclerc, who has taken pole in Baku for the past three years, again looked competitive but struggled to find a clear lap due to multiple yellow flag interruptions. Despite the disruptions, Leclerc was second fastest and remains a strong contender for qualifying, though he will need to keep his car out of the barriers, having already suffered a minor crash in FP1.

Lando Norris also had a strong session, finishing third and confirming that McLaren is in the mix this weekend. Norris' session wasn’t without incident, however, as he tangled with Carlos Sainz on track. Sainz was forced to cut across the apex of a corner to avoid a late-braking Sergio Perez, adding to the list of on-track incidents.

Verstappen Struggles for Clear Laps

Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion, was unable to complete a clean lap in FP3 due to traffic and yellow flags. He finished the session in fifth place but remains a favorite for pole position. Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez, known as "Mr. Baku" for his strong performances in Azerbaijan, was also hampered by on-track traffic and finished just behind Verstappen in sixth.

Looking Ahead to Qualifying

With FP3 over, attention now turns to the all-important qualifying session. Four teams—Mercedes, Ferrari, Red Bull, and McLaren—appear to be in contention for pole, with eight drivers capable of taking the top spot. The narrow, high-speed streets of Baku, combined with evolving track conditions and the potential for more yellow and red flags, promise an exciting and unpredictable qualifying session.

The quickest sector times during this FP3 were:

1. Sector 1: 36.183 sec. by George Russell, Mercedes W15
2. Sector 2: 41.441 sec. by Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24
3. Sector 3: 24.627 sec. by Max Verstappen, Red Bull RB20

Yesterdays quickest lap time during FP2 was a 1:43.484 min, driven by Charles Leclerc with the Ferrari SF-24.

FP3 Times Table 2024 Azerbaijan GP

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