FP3: Hamilton sets benchmark in final practice
Eight-time Hungaroring winner Lewis Hamilton bounced back atfer a low-key performance on Friday to set the quickest lap in the third and final practice at the Hungarian Grand Prix. F1Technical’s Balazs Szabo reports from the Hungaroring paddock.
After Friday’s opening practice was interrupted by a heavy crash of Sergio Perez and then by rain, and the second session saw drivers save their tyres due to Pirelli’s new tyre allocation, the third and final practice brought a more intense run plan for drivers.
Mercedes drivers concentrated on heavy fuel runs yesterday, but they decided to conduct a qualifying simulation on Pirelli's red-walled soft tyres on low fuel. Lewis Hamilton nailed his first lap to set the quickest time of the session with a 1m17.811s to beat the Red Bull duo of Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez.
The Dutchman complained about a lack of grip while his team mate looks to be more comfortable in his RB19 following five troublesome weekends. Interestingly, Verstappen was the only driver alongside the two Ferrari racers to commit himself to a long run.
Haas driver Nico Hulkenberg took an eye-catching fourth ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris with George Russell ending the session in P6.
Eeeek, soft tyre fans look away! 😳#HungarianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/TyhtbPpACR
— Formula 1 (@F1) July 22, 2023
Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz conducted a serious long run in the middle of the one-hour session with both of them racking up 16 laps during their high fuel run.
However, their one-lap pace was less impressive with Leclerc and Sainz only taking 7th and 8th. It is worth noting that the Monegasque ended yesterday's second session atop of the timesheet with his benchmark two tenths of a second faster than what Hamilton managed today.
Aston Martin had a quite session with Fernando Alonso finishing the final practice in P9 while his team-mate Lance Stroll two places further down the order.
Despite their upgrades, Alpine displayed a low-key performance in the final practice with their drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon taking only 16th and 19th respectively.
Former winner at the Hungaroring, Daniel Ricciardo was 18th for AlphaTauri, with his Japanese team-mate Yuki Tsunoda left at the bottom of the field.
Results
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:17.811 | 20 | |
| 2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda Rbpt | 1:18.061 | +0.250s | 23 |
| 3 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda Rbpt | 1:18.067 | +0.256s | 25 |
| 4 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 1:18.077 | +0.266s | 21 |
| 5 | 4 | Lando Norris | Mclaren Mercedes | 1:18.082 | +0.271s | 19 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:18.119 | +0.308s | 22 |
| 7 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:18.190 | +0.379s | 28 |
| 8 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:18.234 | +0.423s | 29 |
| 9 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:18.350 | +0.539s | 20 |
| 10 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo Ferrari | 1:18.489 | +0.678s | 24 |
| 11 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:18.536 | +0.725s | 20 |
| 12 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo Ferrari | 1:18.544 | +0.733s | 23 |
| 13 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:18.592 | +0.781s | 17 |
| 14 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | Mclaren Mercedes | 1:18.598 | +0.787s | 19 |
| 15 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 1:18.649 | +0.838s | 26 |
| 16 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:18.776 | +0.965s | 22 |
| 17 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes | 1:18.814 | +1.003s | 16 |
| 18 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Alphatauri Honda Rbpt | 1:18.828 | +1.017s | 28 |
| 19 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 1:18.979 | +1.168s | 22 |
| 20 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Alphatauri Honda Rbpt | 1:19.156 | +1.345s | 29 |
