Spain, FP3: Verstappen tops rain affected final practice session

Max Verstappen topped the timesheet ahead of Red Bull team-mate Sergio Pérez and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton in a final practice that was disrupted by rain.

With the skies darkening over the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya in the run-up to the last hour of practice, a long queue formed at the pit exit ahead of the start of the session, and when the green lights went on all 20 drivers quickly made their way out on track in dry conditions.

Verstappen set the early pace with a lap of 1:13.664, 0.250s ahead of Pérez, with Hamilton in P3, four tenths off top spot. Further improvements were not possible, however, as eight minutes into the session the red flags came out when William’s Logan Sargeant crashed.

The American driver went into the final corner too hot and after suffering a snap in mid-corner he went off track. The gravel trap did its job and scrubbed off most of the Williams’ driver’s speed but he still hit the barriers with the left side of his FW45 and the session was halted.

During the nine-minute delay that followed rain began to fall and when the session resumed all drivers opted to stay in their garages to see if conditions improved. McLaren’s Lando Norris ended the lull, taking to the track on intermediate tyres but the conditions worsened and after a nervous moment he returned to the pit lane.

The rain then abated and a number of cars went out but in the tricky conditions there were no improvements and Verstappen took top spot when the chequered flag was shown.

Home hero Carlos Sainz was fourth for Ferrari ahead of compatriot Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin, while Mercedes’ George Russell took sixth place ahead of Charles Leclerc in the other Ferrari.

Valtteri Bottas was eighth fastest for Alfa Romeo, ahead of AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda in ninth, with Lando Norris rounding out the top-10 for McLaren.