Australia – Free Practice 3: Daring Pays Off for Vettel!
Double success for Scuderia Ferrari at the end of the last practice session: Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen used the ultra-soft tires in the very last seconds of a session that was contested almost entirely on a wet track.
As expected, the atmosphere cooled above Melbourne’s Albert Park for the start of the second day, with 22.1 degrees in the air and 18.5 degrees on the track. A turning point in a weekend that had been very hot until then: the session opened on a slightly damp track, “greasy” according to Stoffel Vandoorne during his installation lap. Intermediate tires were mandatory during the first laps.
But to see a true lap time, we had to wait twenty minutes for Nico Hülkenberg’s lap. Laps avoided by the majority of the drivers, wary of the tricky asphalt. Stuck in the garage due to a gearbox problem, Lance Stroll was excused.
Max Verstappen, first true benchmark
Times were frantic as the Dutchman passed. Always at ease on the wet, #33 set a time of 1:35.548, light-years ahead of the first competitors on track. Only Daniel Ricciardo managed to stay afloat… at 1.045 seconds! But Lewis Hamilton had yet to show up, due to an unexpected steering wheel change. Later, the four-time world champion got accustomed to the rain. He wasn’t alone, as the Haas drivers employed the same tactic. Was it the right choice? The rain spared the track, and the times gradually decreased. It was an opportunity to see new leaders: Ricciardo, Alonso (!), followed by the two Mercedes. The McLaren driver had no reason to blush, being only pushed back to 0.124 seconds from Valtteri Bottas.
#AusGP 🇦🇺 | FP3 (34/60min) ⏲️
Fastest time for Alonso 😀 #F1 pic.twitter.com/SY6Oj6yk2m
— Secteur F1 🏎️ (@Secteur_F1) March 24, 2018
Vettel’s message, Ericsson makes his way to third place!
The last quarter hour allowed Lance Stroll to start his day’s program. The Canadian was the 18th driver to set at least one lap time. Only the two Force India drivers remained in the pit. Even in the final minutes, the track wasn’t very crowded on the 5.303-kilometer circuit. Intermediate tires remained prevalent until the last seconds of the session, mainly due to a water groove in the fast turn twelve. But the standings were shaken in the very last seconds of the session. Sebastian Vettel was the first to swap intermediate tires for ultra-softs. A rewarding choice: the German crushed the timing. The two other drivers on slick tires finished right behind in the standings: Kimi Räikkönen… and Marcus Ericsson, third, for posterity. Verstappen, Sainz, and Ricciardo followed with their intermediate tires.
INITIAL CLASSIFICATION – END OF FP3
A drying track and some good timing made for a jumbled final practice 🔀#AusGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/GHuLvWFCLg
— Formula 1 (@F1) March 24, 2018
The lesson of this session is therefore the following: change your tires at the right time under evolving grip conditions. A gamble to be repeated for the next session, the Qualifications. See you at 7 a.m. French time!
