Formula 1 News: Verstappen easily tops wet Belgian GP Practice 3
Red Bull ace Max Verstappen turned a lap of 2m01.565s to easily top the final practice for the 2024 Belgian GP at Spa Francorchamps in very wet conditions. Although the McLaren is a superior car to the Red Bull, in the wet, Verstappen’s superior skill took over.
–by Mark Cipolloni–
Verstappen topped the McLaren of Oscar Piastri by 1.433s as no driver completed more than 7 laps.
Pierre Gasly was third for Alpine, 1.610s behind Verstappen.
Lando Norris, who topped Practice 2 in the dry, was 4th in the #4 McLaren, 1.807s behind Verstappen.
Esteban Ocon rounded out the top-5 in the 2nd Alpine, 3.685s behind the Dutchman.
Lance Stroll ran out of talent and wadded up his Aston Martin when he lost control at the top of the hill called Raidillon. The driver was ok, but not his car. The accident and the rain resulted in much of the session being stopped by a Red Flag.
Qualifying is up next, also expected to be run in the rain. Will it be McLaren, will it be Red Bull – or will the weather make for a mixed up grid and invite the likes of Mercedes or Ferrari to barge their way to the front of the field?
2024 Belgian GP Practice 3 Results
Pos | Driver | Nat. | Team | Time | Behind | Laps |
1 | Max Verstappen | NED | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 2m01.565s | +0.000s | 4 |
2 | Oscar Piastri | AUS | McLaren F1 Team | 2m02.998s | +1.433s | 4 |
3 | Pierre Gasly | FRA | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 2m03.175s | +1.610s | 5 |
4 | Lando Norris | GBR | McLaren F1 Team | 2m03.372s | +1.807s | 4 |
5 | Esteban Ocon | FRA | BWT Alpine F1 Team | 2m05.250s | +3.685s | 7 |
6 | Charles Leclerc | MON | Scuderia Ferrari | 2m06.033s | +4.468s | 4 |
7 | Lance Stroll | CAN | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | 2m06.037s | +4.472s | 4 |
8 | Valtteri Bottas | FIN | Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber | 2m06.492s | +4.927s | 7 |
9 | Lewis Hamilton | GBR | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | 2m06.751s | +5.186s | 3 |
10 | Sergio Perez | MEX | Oracle Red Bull Racing | 2m07.103s | +5.538s | 3 |
11 | Alex Albon | THA | Williams Racing | 2m07.443s | +5.878s | 3 |
12 | Nico Hulkenberg | GER | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | 2m08.040s | +6.475s | 5 |
13 | Fernando Alonso | ESP | Aston Martin Aramco F1 Team | 2m08.071s | +6.506s | 4 |
14 | Daniel Ricciardo | AUS | Visa Cash App RB F1 Team | 2m08.410s | +6.845s | 5 |
15 | Yuki Tsunoda | JPN | Visa Cash App RB F1 Team | 2m09.444s | +7.879s | 7 |
16 | Zhou Guanyu | CHN | Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber | 2m11.109s | +9.544s | 7 |
17 | Logan Sargeant | USA | Williams Racing | 2m11.220s | +9.655s | 3 |
18 | George Russell | GBR | Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team | No Time Set | 2 | |
19 | Kevin Magnussen | DEN | MoneyGram Haas F1 Team | No Time Set | 2 | |
20 | Carlos Sainz | ESP | Scuderia Ferrari | No Time Set | 2 |