Source – Sportal.eu
In the third and final practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, George Russell led Mercedes to the lead, finishing ahead of Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and Lando Norris of McLaren. However, the session was cut short by several red flags, including an incident involving Ollie Bearman.
After two sessions of bright and warm weather during FP1 and FP2, the Baku City Circuit took a turn as the drivers were greeted by overcast skies and light drizzle leading up to FP3. This change in weather added an extra layer of complexity to an already tricky track, notorious for being dusty and slippery. Though the conditions remained suitable for slick tires, the moisture in the air caused some hesitation as drivers slowly adapted to the evolving grip levels. Two-time Azerbaijan Grand Prix winner Sergio Perez noted early on that it felt “a little bit damp,” but the lower wind levels compared to the previous day offered some reprieve from the usual challenges the circuit poses.
The session started quietly, with teams waiting for the track to improve. However, it wasn’t long before the action intensified. Esteban Ocon’s Alpine was the first casualty, as the car ground to a halt in the final sector. Ocon, who had already experienced a difficult Friday after his team installed a new power unit between the sessions, expressed his frustration over the radio. “I don’t think I can make it” to the pits, he lamented, as his car came to a stop, prompting Race Control to wave the red flag. This halt was necessary, given the narrow confines of the Baku street circuit.
When the session resumed, the track remained slick, with occasional spots of rain, but the drivers began pushing, and lap times soon followed. Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto briefly stole the spotlight by placing their Williams cars in a surprising one-two, ahead of Max Verstappen’s Red Bull and Carlos Sainz’s Ferrari. The track conditions improved marginally, and soon Oscar Piastri and Nico Hulkenberg slotted themselves between the Williams drivers. The Ferraris of Sainz and Charles Leclerc looked poised to set quicker laps when chaos struck again.
F2 sophomore Ollie Bearman, in a rare appearance behind the wheel of a Haas, misjudged his entry into Turn 1. Coming in too hot, Bearman attempted to take the escape road but collided with the barriers, ripping the front-left corner off his car. The session was red-flagged once again, with Bearman audibly frustrated over the team radio, berating himself with, “I’m such an idiot,” and apologizing profusely for the damage he caused.
Once the track was cleared and the session resumed, just under 20 minutes remained, and drivers switched to soft tires to maximize grip. Piastri was the first to take full advantage, setting a blistering 1:42.749, more than half a second faster than Perez and Leclerc. However, Leclerc wasn’t finished yet. Navigating through a series of yellow flags, the Ferrari driver brought the time down to a 1:42.564, reclaiming the top spot. Norris then edged out Piastri for second place, while Verstappen slotted into fourth, and George Russell—despite complaining of power unit and balance issues—rose to fifth.
As the clock ticked down, Russell delivered a late-session flyer, propelling his Mercedes to the top of the timesheets with a 1:42.514. Leclerc responded but fell just short, securing second place by a few hundredths of a second. The McLarens of Norris and Piastri were pushed down to third and fourth, respectively, with Verstappen rounding out the top five as the leading Red Bull driver. Sainz and Perez followed in sixth and seventh, though their session ended in controversy as the Ferrari was hindered by the Red Bull at Turn 15, sparking frustration from both camps.
The Williams duo of Albon and Colapinto provided an encouraging performance, finishing eighth and ninth, a positive sign for the midfield team. Lewis Hamilton’s day was more subdued, managing only 10th in the second Mercedes, while Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin, Yuki Tsunoda in the Red Bull, and Lance Stroll in the second Aston Martin followed closely behind. Ricciardo, in the other Red Bull, struggled with balance issues and was only 14th, ahead of Pierre Gasly’s Alpine and Hulkenberg’s Haas.
The Kick Sauber pair of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu had a quiet session, finishing 17th and 18th, respectively, while Ocon, who had triggered the first red flag, and Bearman, after his crash, ended their FP3 efforts prematurely. All eyes now turn to the qualifying session later in the afternoon, with the drivers eager to capitalize on track improvements and find the right balance on a circuit known for throwing surprises.
