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Report | Verstappen tops FP3 in Australia as Perez has a nightmare session

Report | Verstappen tops FP3 in Australia as Perez has a nightmare session

01-04-2023 03:30 Last update: 15:32
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Max Verstappen has topped the third and final free practice session for the Australian Grand Prix. Ferrari didn't showcase their top speed when the track improved towards the end. Charles Leclerc finished in P13. Sergio Perez had a nightmare session but finished above both Ferrari cars. Fernando Alonso looks set to be Verstappen's closest rival though questions remain as to what Perez and Ferrari can bring. 

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Sergio Perez was late out of the garage. The Red Bull Racing team had to fix a problem with his car and therefore the Mexican was the last driver to take to the track. On his first fastest lap, Perez was blocked by Kevin Magnussen which resulted in a near high speed crash. Ferrari and Alonso took control of the places towards the top of the leaderboard early on. After the red flag, Perez tried another hot lap but locked up the tyres and ran over the gravel. His nightmare session concluded with another wide run in the final sequence of corners. 

Fernando Alonso tried double warm up laps suggesting this might be a tactic Aston Martin use in qualifying to take on Red Bull. This tactic was also replicated by other teams as the cooler temperatures meant that tyres needed an extra heat cycle. 

Due to the Friday choas which mixed up the run plans, half of the drivers opted to stay on qualifiyng simulations, whilst the other half looked at their long run performance. The long runs were distrubed when the red flag dropped due to debris on the track. Norris didn't have the chance to record any qualifying runs because a clutch issue ended his running with 15 minutes to go. 

Times increased significantly in the final 15 minutes of the session, with the leaderbaord changing multiple times. Alpine had a brilliant session, with Ocon and Gasly both inside the top five. Ferrari looked promising in the early part of the session, but didn't push hard in the second half when the track improved.