Verstappen clocks second fastest time in FP3 in Abu Dhabi

Published on 26 November 2016 by Mike Motilall

The last free practice for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix earned Max Verstappen the second fastest time. The majority of this session saw the Red Bull Racing-driver doing a long run on the super soft tyre. A fast lap at the end of the session, on the ultra softs, yielded a 1:40.912, a little over a tenth a stray from Vettel, who himself topped the leaderboard. The Red Bull Racing-driver positioned himself between the Ferrari’s, Mercedes finished in fourth and fifth.

The first to get serious on track was Daniil Kvyat. Which is understandable, issues with his tyres in the first and second free practices left him with only nine laps behind his name. After then minutes, Max is out on track also, on a new set of the super softs. He does a 1:42.461, the fastest by then. Nico Rosberg, on a same set of tyres, falls short by some two tenths in his first flying lap. Lewis Hamilton betters Verstappen’s time by three tenths.

Not everyone is on the super soft tyre, Sebastian Vettel heads out on track on a scrubbed set of the ultra softs and with 86 thousandths difference, snatches the fastest time from Hamilton. Carlos Sainz gets on track on the soft compound but spins in the third sector. As oppose to his team mate, he doesn’t seem to be affected by a flat tyre.

Verstappen makes to the track for the second time, with the same set of tyres as his first run. He then steers his RB12 through the pits. As Daniel Ricciardo is running on the ultra softs, Max is still doing some laps on the super softs. This earns Ricciardo the second fastest time, right behind of Raikkonen, who was the fastest moments before. Seven tenths faster than Verstappen.

Instead of making up for lost time, both Toro Rosso’s are inside for quite some time, work is done on the rears of both cars. And yet again Kvyat and Sainz only manage to do a limited amount of laps.

With little over twenty minutes to go, both Mercedes appear on track with the ultra’s strapped on. Despite poor times set by the duo in the second sector, they improve the fastest time by over five tenths. Hamilton one tenth ahead of Rosberg. Verstappen finishes, with sixteen minutes remaining, his long run of fifteen laps on the super softs.

Vettel simulates qualifying and does a 1:40.775, three tenths faster than Lewis Hamilton. Not everyone joins in. Some drivers, like the Mercedes-men, have used the second free practice to simulate their qualifying, seeing the changing conditions in that session meets those of qualifying later today. Verstappen gets on track with a new set of ultra soft tyres and clocks a 1:40.912. good enough for second by then and right between Vettel and Hamilton. In the dying minutes Raikkonen clocks a fast one but is eight hundredths shy of Verstappen to demote him from second.

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix - Yas Marina Circuit - Saturday 26 November

Free Practice 3 Results 

01  5 Sebastian Vettel    Ferrari                     1:40.775          15
02 33 Max Verstappen      Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer   1:40.912 +0.137s  20
03  7 Kimi Räikkönen      Ferrari                     1:40.999 +0.224s  13
04 44 Lewis Hamilton      Mercedes                    1:41.065 +0.290s  14
05  6 Nico Rosberg        Mercedes                    1:41.168 +0.393s  18
06  3 Daniel Ricciardo    Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer   1:41.831 +1.056s  19
07 11 Sergio Perez        Force India Mercedes        1:41.885 +1.110s  18
08 27 Nico Hulkenberg     Force India Mercedes        1:42.067 +1.292s  12
09 77 Valtteri Bottas     Williams Mercedes           1:42.076 +1.301s  18
10 21 Esteban Gutierrez   Haas Ferrari                1:42.354 +1.579s  15
11 14 Fernando Alonso     McLaren Honda               1:42.585 +1.810s  13
12 30 Jolyon Palmer       Renault                     1:42.616 +1.841s  17
13 22 Jenson Button       McLaren Honda               1:42.664 +1.889s  14
14 19 Felipe Massa        Williams Mercedes           1:42.683 +1.908s  19
15  8 Romain Grosjean     Haas Ferrari                1:42.805 +2.030s  16
16 20 Kevin Magnussen     Renault                     1:43.057 +2.282s  17
17 94 Pascal Wehrlein     MRT Mercedes                1:43.145 +2.370s  16
18 55 Carlos Sainz        Toro Rosso Ferrari          1:43.301 +2.526s  9
19 12 Felipe Nasr         Sauber Ferrari              1:43.417 +2.642s  21
20 31 Esteban Ocon        MRT Mercedes                1:43.733 +2.958s  14
21 26 Daniil Kvyat        Toro Rosso Ferrari          1:44.105 +3.330s  12
22  9 Marcus Ericsson     Sauber Ferrari              1:44.238 +3.463s  19 

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