Max Verstappen ended the last practice session of the Singapore Grand Prix with the fastest time of the weekend at the head of a top five separated by less than 0.09 seconds.
Verstappen’s improved Red Bull Racing -car looked at home around the Marina Bay streets in the late afternoon sun and pushed the Dutchman to a best time of 1m 30.148s.
Verstappen never took the post in Singapore and the last P1 start of Red Bull Racing in Marina Bay was in 2013.
Although the Schoot van Verstappen was more than half a second faster than the fastest time of Friday, the during the day circumstances that FP3 does not represent for the nocturnal qualification later today and the evening race on Sunday.
Oscar Piastri improved late to make himself the closest challenger of Verstappen, who was 0.017s from the pace, but with the fastest time in the middle sector.
The Australian set his fastest time after the checkered flag, when the circuit was more representative, but did this on the fifth round on a set of softs.
His late explosion brought George Russell, whose Mercedes was only 0.049s slower than Verstappen’s Red Bull Racing car, and the Brit suggested that there was even more time on the table.
“I am still struggling for confidence in the corner I crashed yesterday,” he said, referring to turn 16. “The rear is on the edge.”
Teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli improved with a second flying round on used rubber, who swung 0.089s from the pace of Verstappen in the fourth and only 0.089s.
His round was matched by Lando Norris, whose last round was identical.
Carlos Sainz was an unexpectedly competitive sixth for Williams on a circuit whose high downforce requirements should not fit with the car. The Spaniard was 0.244 seconds from the pace and placed it 0.097s for Isack Hadjar in his Racing Bulls machine.
Lewis Hamilton was eighth and 0.411s slower than Verstappen, but the Brit may have a bigger problem to tackle after he was called after the session for an infringement of a red flag.
Nico Hulkenberg was the ninth for Sauber for Charles Leclerc in the Second Ferrari, the Monegasque 0.503s of the pace.
Alex Albon was 11th ahead of Gabriel Bortoleto and Haas teammates Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman.
Fernando Alonso dropped to the 15th and 0.775s of the pace for Aston Martin after Friday’s competitive show. He was ahead of Franco Colapinto, Lance Stroll, Yuki Tsunoda and Pierre Gasly as the lowest placed drivers to set a time.
Liam Lawson ended the session last and without a representative round time after he had his car crashed for the second consecutive day.
The Racing Bulls car of the Kiwi soiled over the curb at the exit of Turn 7. Seemed to keep his foot in, the car broke off its control and threw itself into the barrier, causing serious damage to its right side.
Lawson was not injured in the crash, which activated the only red flag of the session, but created considerable work for his mechanics, which had just finished repairing his car after a harmful crash in FP2 on Friday.
Result
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