Turkish Grand Prix – Free Practice 3: A very tricky session in the rain
The rain was hitting the Istanbul circuit, making the track extremely slippery for the drivers who had to really master their single-seaters to avoid spinning out.
After two initial practice sessions that were very complicated for the drivers, with a new asphalt, the track surface was very cold and offered no grip. This session proved to be the worst, with a lot of water on the track turning this Istanbul circuit into a real ice rink. However, it was necessary to practice under these conditions as there is a strong chance that the qualifying and the race will also be accompanied by rain.
8 minutes after the start of the session, Esteban Ocon and Charles Leclerc had a slight scare by touching each other at turn number 12. Fortunately for both, their cars had no damage.
With 6 minutes remaining, Antonio Giovinazzi couldn’t find grip on the track, resulting in two off-track excursions, including one at turn number 3 in which the Italian slightly damaged his front wing.
Once again, it was Verstappen and Leclerc who seemed the most comfortable on the Turkish ice rink. If it rains during qualifying, it would most likely be these two men to bet on for pole position.
Results:
| N° | Driver | Team | Times | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Verstappen | Aston Martin Red Bull Racing | 1’48’485 | 6 | |
| 2 | Leclerc | Scuderia Ferrari | 1’19’430 | –1:57.100 | 9 |
| 3 | Albon | Aston Martin Red Bull Racing | 1’50’059 | +0.196 | 5 |
| 4 | Ocon | Renault DP World F1 Team | 1’53’897 | +0.504 | 9 |
| 5 | Norris | McLaren F1 Team | 1’53’995 | +0.505 | 7 |
| 6 | Vettel | Scuderia Ferrari | 1’54’490 | +0.600 | 14 |
| 7 | Perez | BWT Racing Point F1 Team | 1’55’577 | +0.701 | 6 |
| 8 | Bottas | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 1’55’666 | +0.702 | 4 |
| 9 | Magnussen | Haas F1 Team | 1’55’878 | +0.704 | 4 |
| 10 | Stroll | BWT Racing Point F1 Team | 1’56’824 | +0.804 | 5 |
| 11 | Ricciardo | Renault DP World F1 Team | 1’58’475 | +1.000 | 6 |
| 12 | Sainz Jr. | McLaren F1 Team | 1’59’548 | +1.101 | 7 |
| 13 | Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN | 2’02’325 | +55.399 | 10 |
| 14 | Gasly | Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda | 2’02’473 | +55.400 | 7 |
| 15 | Grosjean | Haas F1 Team | 2’04’748 | +55.603 | 5 |
| 16 | Räikkönen | Alfa Romeo Racing ORLEN | 2’06’351 | +55.799 | 12 |
| 17 | Kvyat | Scuderia AlphaTauri Honda | 2’09’368 | +56.099 | 8 |
| 18 | Russell | Williams Racing | 1 | ||
| 19 | Latifi | Williams Racing | 1 | ||
| 20 | Hamilton | Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport | 3 |
