Verstappen tops a tricky FP3 in Baku
The third and final practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix belonged to the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, topping the time sheet with a 1:43.922. It’s the first time that the four-time champion has topped an FP3 session this year.
As all of the teams practiced their long runs and mock qualifying laps, we saw virtually all of the drivers out-braking themselves into the run-off areas at some point or other, as they tried to find the limit of the Baku City Circuit.
Four-time champion Max Verstappen repeated exactly the same manoeuvre at Turn 15 as he did in FP2, not once, but twice - going deep on the brakes but then beautifully flicking the car back round to rejoin.
The major talking point of the session was the strong gusts of wind out on track, particularly tail winds making braking zones a huge challenge for the drivers. The session was a wash of brief yellow flags as drivers kept running off and rejoining. This will be a fascinating aspect come Qualifying later on.
The only outlier in the numerous yellow flags was Lance Stroll, who clipped the inside wall at Turn 1 at the half way point of the session. The Canadian had to bring his Aston Martin to a stop, adding to the team’s abysmal weekend in which they’re slower than the F2 cars down the main straight.
Behind the leading Verstappen was George Russell in P2, off by just 0.099 seconds. The Briton has been looking on it throughout the practice sessions this weekend, looking much more comfortable in his Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton snatched P3 at the end of the session after picking up a town on the home straight from multiple cars; the seven-time champion was ahead of the compromised Antonelli, with the championship leader missing crucial running during FP1 and FP2 due to a hydraulics issue.
Charles Leclerc was P5 ahead of the fast looking Alpine of Pierre Gasly in P6, then the two Mclarens were down in P7 and P8. The reigning Constructor’s Champions will be hoping for more come Qualifying after bringing multiple upgrades to Baku.
Isack Hadjar was P9 in the second Red Bull in which he is staying for 2027, and Franco Colapinto rounded out the top ten in the second Alpine.
Looking ahead
Baku has a reputation for producing chaos. There were six red flags in Qualifying last year, and it’s always an exciting session to watch. This year should be no different - there are challenging conditions for the drivers, our championship leader is on the back foot, and Max Verstappen looks right in the mix to take on the Mercedes.
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