Max Verstappen has sent a clear message to the opposition by topping the times in the third Practice session for Sunday’s Formula 1® Rolex ® Australian Grand Prix 2023.
The final session before the drivers rolled out for Qualifying was looking close until the final 10 minutes, when the World Champion set a staggering 1m17.585s lap to sprint clear of the field, which until that time had been led by Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
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The gap to the green car may have only been 0.16sec but the apparent ease with which Verstappen set the time will have the opposition concerned before the start of Qualifying.
But what was nearly as interesting was the mix of the cars at the top of the times. Behind the Red Bull and Aston Martin came the first of the Alpines, driven by Esteban Ocon, who was followed by George Russell’s Mercedes-Benz. All four drivers, from four different teams, were split by less than 0.4sec.
In the second Alpine Pierre Gasly edged out the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez, ahead of Carlos Sainz (who spun his car on the way to the pits late in the session) and Lewis Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton was eighth fastest, ahead of Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin and Alfa Romeo driver Zhou Guanyu.
It was not a great hour for McLaren. Oscar Piastri was 14th fastest, ending the session under investigation for failing to follow the race director’s instructions for practice starts at the end of the session. Teammate Lando Norris was in even worse shape, confined to the garage with a clutch problem and completing only 12 laps.
Grip was at a premium on the sweeping Albert Park track, with Perez (twice), Zhou and Kevin Magnussen among those skating onto the grass at different times during the session.
The teams are now readying the cars to prepare for the one-hour Qualifying session, which is due to start at 4:00 pm.
