Spa, FP3: Hamilton takes over at top in Belgium

Hamilton flies in final Spa practice

By Franck Drui

22 August 2015 - 12:06
Spa, FP3: Hamilton takes over at (...)

Lewis Hamilton seized the initiative at Spa-Francorchamps, eclipsing team-mate Nico Rosberg by almost half a second in final practice for the Belgian Grand Prix.

Rosberg had run quicker than Hamilton in both Friday sessions but this morning championship leader Hamilton set a blistering pace during the session’s qualifying simulations to finish with a time of 1:48.984, 0.498s clear of the German.

Third on the timesheet was Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, the four-time world champion improving on a low key Friday to get to within seven tenths of the imperious Hamilton. Vettel’s team-mate Kimi Räikkönen, this week confirmed for another season at the Scuderia, was fourth fastest, just over two tenths further back.

Hamilton also controlled the opening half hour of the session, run on medium tyres, with the Briton topping the prime tyre times ahead of Daniel Ricciardo who once again demonstrated Red Bull Racing’s improved competitiveness by getting to within five hundredths of a second of the Briton. Rosberg was third a tenth further back.

Ricciardo then moved to the soft tyre and predictably moved to the top of the list. He was rapidly followed onto the option tyre by Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen who slotted into second place. The Red Bull’s then took the top two spots as Daniil Kvyat moved to the options to set a time just five hundredths of a second adrift of his team-mate.

The Mercedes drivers bided their time but ten minutes from the end of the session Rosberg powered past Ricciardo’s time, lapping half a second faster than the Australian.

It was then Hamilton’s turn and the Briton found exceptional pace to beat his team-mate by a further half second.

With Vettel and Raikkonen then slotting into third and fourth, fifth place went to Force India’s Sergio Perez with Ricciardo and Kvyat sixth and seventh respectively.

Nico Hulkenberg gave Force India hope of a strong qualifying session by setting the eighth fastest time ahead of Williams’ Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa who finished ninth and tenth respectively.

It was a difficult session for McLaren. The team had announced a host of power unit changes for both its drivers on Friday, with Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button being hit with a combined drop of 55 places on the grid and this morning, Alonso’s day ended early end with a suspected exhaust problem. The Spaniard failed to set as time during the session. Button, meanwhile, finished 17th, ahead of the Manor cars.

A further precautionary engine change to both McLaren cars means that the team will take an unprecedented combined 105-place grid penalty.

Pos.DriverTeamTimeLaps
01 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes AMG 1:48.984 15
02 Nico Rosberg Mercedes AMG 1:49.482 19
03 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:49.629 17
04 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1:49.864 19
05 Sergio Perez Force India Mercedes 1:49.866 15
06 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Renault 1:49.930 20
07 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull Renault 1:49.980 19
08 Nico Hulkenberg Force India Mercedes 1:50.000 15
09 Valtteri Bottas Williams Mercedes 1:50.179 15
10 Felipe Massa Williams Mercedes 1:50.447 15
11 Carlos Sainz Toro Rosso Renault 1:50.552 20
12 Pastor Maldonado Lotus Mercedes 1:50.585 17
13 Max Verstappen Toro Rosso Renault 1:50.599 21
14 Felipe Nasr Sauber Ferrari 1:50.690 17
15 Marcus Ericsson Sauber Ferrari 1:51.054 20
16 Romain Grosjean Lotus Mercedes 1:51.187 18
17 Jenson Button McLaren Honda 1:51.981 12
18 Will Stevens Manor Ferrari 1:54.262 16
19 Roberto Merhi Manor Ferrari 1:54.281 9
20 Fernando Alonso McLaren Honda -:—.--- 1

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