Max third in final Azerbaijan free practice
Published on 27 April 2019 by Kees-Jan Koster
Max Verstappen set the third fastest time in the third and final free practice for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. Verstappen was on the street circuit in Baku, with a time of 1:42.852, more than a second slower than the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel.
At the start of the third free practice many of the drivers, including Max, enter the track straight away for an installation lap. Pierre Gasly is the first who sets a time. The Frenchman will have to start the race on Sunday from the pits as a penalty for missing weighbridge summons at the end of the second free practice session.
Right from the start the Ferraris and Mercedes set the tone. 25 minutes in the session, Max sets a time of 1:44.698 (P9) on soft tires. A little later improving his time to 1:43.876, moving him to a fifth place. Again the Dutchman improves a little bit (1:43.638), staying in fifth position, exactly a second behind Leclerc, who set the quickest time.
With only fifteen minutes on the clock, Max enters the track again. On a new set of soft tires the Dutchman sets the second time (1:42.852). A little later Vettel goes a bit faster than Verstappen. That way Max ends the third free practice in third position driven sixteen laps. The Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Sebastian Vettel are by far the fastest. Behind Verstappen end the Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton in P4 and P5. The drivers of Toro Rosso surprise with a sixth place for Daniil Kvyat and an eighth place for Alexander Albon.
There are no significant incidents in addition to the many drivers who go straight on during the third free practice.
Azerbaijan GP contest: Win a Red Bull Racing 2019 polo!
Results third free practice Azerbaijan:
pos | driver | team | time | gap | laps | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Charles Leclerc | LEC | Ferrari | 1:41.604 | 14 | |
2 | Sebastian Vettel | VET | Ferrari | 1:41.802 | +0.198s | 14 |
3 | Max Verstappen | VER | Red Bull Racing Honda | 1:42.852 | +1.248s | 16 |
4 | Valtteri Bottas | BOT | Mercedes | 1:43.064 | +1.460s | 19 |
5 | Lewis Hamilton | HAM | Mercedes | 1:43.176 | +1.572s | 17 |
6 | Daniil Kvyat | KVY | Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda | 1:43.223 | +1.619s | 18 |
7 | Kevin Magnussen | MAG | Haas Ferrari | 1:43.294 | +1.690s | 19 |
8 | Alexander Albon | ALB | Scuderia Toro Rosso Honda | 1:43.300 | +1.696s | 19 |
9 | Sergio Perez | PER | Racing Point BWT Mercedes | 1:43.430 | +1.826s | 15 |
10 | Kimi Räikkönen | RAI | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 1:43.537 | +1.933s | 19 |
11 | Daniel Ricciardo | RIC | Renault | 1:43.561 | +1.957s | 20 |
12 | Antonio Giovinazzi | GIO | Alfa Romeo Racing Ferrari | 1:43.637 | +2.033s | 20 |
13 | Lando Norris | NOR | McLaren Renault | 1:43.924 | +2.320s | 20 |
14 | Carlos Sainz | SAI | McLaren Renault | 1:43.978 | +2.374s | 19 |
15 | Lance Stroll | STR | Racing Point BWT Mercedes | 1:44.039 | +2.435s | 16 |
16 | Nico Hulkenberg | HUL | Renault | 1:44.043 | +2.439s | 19 |
17 | Romain Grosjean | GRO | Haas Ferrari | 1:44.374 | +2.770s | 16 |
18 | Robert Kubica | KUB | Williams Mercedes | 1:46.000 | +4.396s | 19 |
19 | George Russell | RUS | Williams Mercedes | 1:46.290 | +4.686s | 20 |
20 | Pierre Gasly | GAS | Red Bull Racing Honda | 1:47.836 | +6.232s | 22 |