Spa, Free Practice 3: Max Verstappen resurfaces in the rain.

From the rain springs the newfound leader of the ranking.

Max Verstappen finds himself in the best of times and prints the fastest time of FP3, the last free practice session before qualifying and the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa. The session è was mothballed by heavy rain that è fell on the Ardennes circuit, also causing a red flag. Once again competitive McLarens, surprising Alpine cars. Charles Leclerc finishes sixth, the other Ferrari of Carlos Sainz closes the ranking.

The third free practice at Spa lasts forò in fact just 11 minutes, which is why there are three (in addition to Sainz, also Russell and Magnussen) who do not record any timed time. Before Lance Stroll’s bang on the always treacherous Raidillon, however, it was Verstappen himself who was the only one to find some confidence with the track. This is evidenced not so much by his time of 2:01.565, as by the gaps in the order of a second and a half handed to Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. For them second and fourth place, with Pierre Gasly in the middle and Esteban Ocon following.

Despite his sixth place, Leclerc lags a good 4.468 behind Verstappen, little indicative forò in view of the rest of the weekend. The Red Bull Dutchman will in fact lose 10 grid positions in any case due to an engine change. New gearbox (without consequences) instead for Ferrari’s Monegasque.

Belgian Grand Prix 2014, FP3 results:

1   M. Verstappen   Red Bull   2:01.565 (I)   –   
2   O. Piastri   McLaren   2:02.998 (I)    +1.433   
3   P. Gasly   Alpine   2:03.175 (I)    +1.610   
4    L. Norris   McLaren   2:03.372 (I)    +1.807   
5   E. Ocon   Alpine   2:05.250 (I)    +3.685   
6    C. Leclerc   Ferrari   2:06.033 (I)    +4.468   
7    L. Stroll   Aston Martin   2:06.037 (I)   +4.472   
8    V. Bottas   Kick Sauber   2:06.492 (I)   +4.927   
9    L. Hamilton   Mercedes   2:06.751 (I)   +5.186   
10   S. Perez   Red Bull   2:07.103 (I)    +5.538   
11   A. Albon    Williams   2:07.443 (I)   +5.878   
12   N. Hülkenberg   Haas   2:08.040 (I)   +6.475   
13   F. Alonso   Aston Martin   2:08.071 (I)   +6.506   
14    D. Ricciardo   RB   2:08.410 (I)   +6.845   
15   Y. Tsunoda   RB   2:09.444 (I)    +7.879   
16   G. Zhou   Kick Sauber   2:11.109 (I)   +9.544   
17    L. Sargeant   Williams   2:11.220 (I)   +9.655   
18    G. Russell   Mercedes    s.t.  –   
19    K. Magnussen   Haas   s.t.   –   
20   C. Sainz   Ferrari   s.t.   –