Hungary – Free Practice 3: Bottas on Top, Improvement for Ferrari

This last free practice session took place on a dry track but under a more than threatening sky that could unleash itself on the Hungaroring during the upcoming qualifying session! Sunday’s practice session was dominated by Bottas with a time of 1:15.437, closely followed by his teammate Lewis Hamilton.

The Haas drivers took to the track at the start of this session for a reconnaissance lap while Norris remained at the pit exit to attempt a start.

It took about twenty minutes for the track to rubber in for all the drivers to come out.

Smoke escaped from both Hamilton’s and Bottas’s Mercedes cars at turn 12, yet they still recorded the best times of 1:16.472 and 1:16.538.

This same corner proved to be tricky for Verstappen, who spun harmlessly shortly before the mid-session, causing a yellow flag. Both Red Bull drivers are complaining about an unstable car and have been communicating extensively with their engineers to find a better setup for the car.

The Racing Points continued to impress with Pérez clocking a time of 1:16.340, just 0.062s behind Bottas, while Hamilton continued to improve his lap time.

Gasly had a series of problems. After changing his electronic control unit during the first free practice session and then driving little in the second, he experienced a loss of power from the Honda engine during this last session.

Ranking-wise, the Mercedes are at the top followed by Pérez who maintains the pace. Leclerc is the highest-placed Ferrari in 4th position, ahead of Stroll, Verstappen, and Albon. Ocon takes 8th place ahead of Gasly who, despite his engine warning, sets the 9th fastest time. The McLarens, behind on this track, complete the top 10 with 15 minutes remaining in the session.

The preparation for the qualifications was felt during the last quarter of an hour with a significant improvement in times. Bottas set the fastest time with 1:15.437 ahead of Hamilton. Leclerc maintains his position between the two Racing Point cars. A great lap by Norris allowed him to take the 7th place in the final standings, even though the McLarens had been further back during this mid-table session. Notably, a great performance by Russell who places 14th at the end of this last free practice session.