The last free practice session of Silverstone GP sees George in first place Russell. The winner of the last race in Austria precedes his teammate Lewis Hamilton, while Lando Norris concludes one all-British hat-trick.
FP3 GP Silverstone: British hat-trick in the rain
The FP3 of the Silverstone GP takes place with the Typical English weather. Rain that comes down, rain that stops, rain that comes back. Many drivers are affected: spin for Verstappen e Bottas, while gasly he gets stuck in the gravel and ends his session after a few minutes. The air temperature is 11 degrees, while the asphalt only reaches 16. The weather is English, George's best session time is also English Russell: 1:37.529. 35 thousandths put him ahead of his teammate Lewis Hamilton and the other home driver Lando also placed 185 thousandths behind Norris.
La Mercedes wants to continue the good form that has seen the team achieve 3 podiums in the last 3 races, while Norris he wants to get back into the fight for the title after losing 10 points to Max Verstappen following their contact in Austria. Will there be resentment on and off the track? The two directly involved denied this during the hearing press conference: Their friendship is still intact.
Ferrari, a step back with the updates
They complete the top 5 Sainz e Verstappen, sandwiched between the two Ferrari with the old package (Leclerc finishes sixth). The Monegasque takes almost a second from the leader Russell, while Sainz's delay stands at around six tenths. They follow Piastres, Perez (almost a second behind teammate Verstappen), Hulkenberg e Alonso, in tenth position.
After the announcement of a biennial for Perez a month ago, the Mexican's latest performances apparently called his into question stay in Red Bull. According to the latest rumours, in fact, the number 11 could be replaced by Daniel Ricciardo after the summer break if his performances do not improve. Daniel Ricciardo himself was noticed in FP3 for zig-zagging in the pitlane: he will come investigated after the session.
Given the rain, the session (which is usually dedicated entirely to the qualifying simulation) also includes a test part of the race pace. Showers are also forecast for Sunday, so the drivers are looking for the best feeling with the wet track (while on Friday McLaren dominated in the dry). Even on long runs Mercedes proves to be competitive, followed closely by Ferrari. Even on long runs, however, Perez he struggles and complains of having very little grip.
After the checkered flag, however, the chatter stops. The truth will only be known at 16, For qualifications.
