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Verstappen takes P1 in Monaco FP3 as Hamilton crashes at Mirabeau
Leclerc also struggling with issues

Verstappen takes P1 in Monaco FP3 as Hamilton crashes at Mirabeau

27-05-2023 12:30 Last update: 12:54
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Max Verstappen was able to take P1 in FP3 at Monaco, with Red Bull dominating the standings before the most important qualifying session in the F1 season as Lewis Hamilton crashes at the end of FP3.

While FP2 yesterday allowed drivers to get to grips with the race pace of their respective cars, FP3 allowed them to see what they would be dealing with in qualifying later on, with lighter fuel loads and super-soft tyres equipped to give teams the data required for the crucial qualifying session.

It was a slow start to the session, where no laps were set in the opening five minutes, but then it exploded into life, with teams and drivers looking to get as much data as required to aid their changes for qualifying and the race on Sunday.

As it happened

As the team prepared for qualifying in a sun-soaked Monaco, all drivers ran with the supersoft tyres, as both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez held P1 for the majority of the session, with both drivers breaking into the 1.12 lap times before any other team.

Verstappen and Perez had played down Red Bull’s chances here at Monaco this weekend, along with Christian Horner and Helmut Marko, but they looked almost untouchable, with no teams able to challenge their pace and hold P1 for a substantial amount of time.

It looked as though we would be treated to a retirement-free FP3, but a mechanical failure from Kevin Magnussen and a rare mistake Lewis Hamilton meant that there were two retirements in FP3.

For the Briton and his sidepod-less W14, it is not the session he would have been hoping for, finishing P8 and planting his newly-updated Mercedes into Mirabeau with just five minutes to go before the end of FP3.

Best of the rest

Lance Stroll and Lando Norris, who finished P3 and P5 respectively, were seemingly the best of the rest, as they put together solid lap times throughout the session.

Conversely, it was another disappointing day for home favourite Charles Leclerc, who complained that his Ferarri continued to bottom out, causing him to return to the garage earlier than he would have wanted.