Spanish Grand Prix – Free Practice 3: The rain has arrived

Announced as a potential disruptive element since the beginning of the weekend, the rain was becoming increasingly persistent and threatened to fall at any moment on the Circuit de Barcelona. This pushed all the single-seaters to gather at the exit of the pit lane to do as much driving as possible on dry track.

Red lantern of the grid in 2022, this position in the constructor’s world championship saw Williams housed in the last garages of the pitlane. The first one to take to the track, Logan Sargeant was also the first one of the weekend to cause a red flag. The American was the first victim of the new final turn. Brushing the inner kerb, the Williams was destabilized by this contact and sent into the gravel trap. Fortunately for the rookie, the impact with the barriers does not appear to have caused any damage that would prevent him from participating in the qualifying session. Before last in FP1 and last in FP2, Logan Sargeant is experiencing a troubled start to his Spanish weekend.

This kind of track raised a red flag. The arrival of rain then solidified the lap times of each driver. This left Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez at the top of the standings. Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, and George Russell complete the Top 6.

Going out in the rain a few hours before the qualifications is a risky bet, as the chances of spinning off the track and being deprived of practice for the second Saturday session are very high. Lando Norris, accustomed to British weather, was not afraid and decided to go out with intermediate tires to test the track’s grip. The McLaren driver didn’t take any chances and headed straight back to the warmth of the garage.

He was followed, a few minutes later, by his former teammate, Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard was thanked by his fans for providing them with a bit of a show. These laps were not pointless for the drivers, as they were collecting data in preparation for the qualifying and race, which will also likely take place in wet conditions. This meant that half of the grid found themselves splashing through puddles. Lance Stroll and Pierre Gasly both had a little scare, but fortunately for them, their low-speed spins had no consequences. Seeing his fellow drivers struggling, Max Verstappen criticized his team for sending him out in these conditions, believing it to be unnecessary.

FP3 Table