FP3 result Australia: Leclerc takes fastest time from Verstappen in closing seconds

The third and final free practice of the Australian race weekend is a fact. In front of the packed stands in Melbourne, the fastest time was just set by Charles Leclerc. Behind him, the second fastest time was set by Max Verstappen. The top three was completed by Carlos Sainz.

Normally the start of a third free practice is very quiet. It is not often that the drivers drive directly onto the track. This time it was a quiet start, but the McLarens gave the fans something to enjoy. Remarkably, they were soon joined by the Red Bulls.

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez entered the track after five minutes. On Friday they were not the fastest and that means there was work to be done. Verstappen and Perez were also not satisfied. Both drivers complained of problems with brake bite. They tried it for a while, and both drivers seemed to feel better afterward.

Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton also did not feel completely comfortable in the car. When his engineer informed him about the gap with Verstappen, Hamilton was shocked. It showed once again how big the difference between Red Bull and Mercedes currently is. Hamilton was also disappointed with his deficit to Carlos Sainz and according to Mercedes he lost seven tenths on the straights.

At the end of the third free practice, Hamilton managed to find the necessary pace again. The seven-time world champion was able to make up the necessary time on the fast soft tires and even found himself in the top three. His teammate George Russell also seemed to be feeling better.

Tension

Hamilton even came very close to the fastest time of Carlos Sainz at that time. The recovered Spaniard seemed to be able to end the training with the fastest time, but two drivers put a stop to that in the final seconds of the session. At first Max Verstappen went faster, but that only lasted a while. With a very small difference, his time was erased by Charles Leclerc. The small differences gave the fans a good feeling, because this could easily mean that it will be a very exciting qualification.