Max ninth in rainy FP3

Published on 18 June 2022 by Stefan Meens

Max Verstappen finished the third practice session of the Canadian Grand Prix in ninth place. The Oracle Red Bull Racing driver completed just ten laps of a wet Circuit de Gilles Villeneuve. Fernando Alonso (Alpine) was quickest, ahead of Alpha Tauri’s Pierre Gasly and the Aston Martin of Sebastian Vettel.

Throughout most of Saturday, rain has been descending on the city of Montreal, resulting in wet and slippery conditions for the teams to tackle in FP3. In the first half of the session, a dozen drivers gingerly make their way around the Isle de Notre Dame street circuit on full wets.

Just after the halfway mark, Max makes his first appearance on track, also sporting the full wet tyre. After a single lap, the reigning champions returns to the pits.

Meanwhile, at the front, Sebastian Vettel, Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso are the first drivers to bolt on the intermediate Pirellis. The Alpine driver is the first to better his time on the other compound and goes fastest before Vettel steals the top spot back. In the end, it is Alonso who clocks the quickest time of the session (1:33.836).

With fourteen minutes on the clock, Max steers his RB18 out of the pits, again on the full wet tyre. Despite slipping and sliding, the Dutchman eventually tries the intermediates on which he sets his quickest time in FP3 (1:34.616). On his way to clocking his best effort, he spins and narrowly avoids the barrier.

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