Once again, we are heading towards an exciting qualifying session, as FP3 showed that there are four teams competing for pole position.
For the second consecutive race, Mercedes displayed impressive speed on Friday, and although we may have doubts about it, Russell’s first place in Canada suggests that they may have finally discovered the secrets of their W15.
Hamilton proved to be the fastest in the second practice session on Friday and expressed satisfaction with the drivability of his car. Although Ferrari has not yet unleashed the full potential of their upgraded SF-24, McLaren showed their competitiveness and is in contention for a good result.
Verstappen seemed dissatisfied with the balance of his RB20 during FP2, but downplayed it later, stating that Red Bull was just experimenting with different setups. Historically, reigning champions tend to improve between Friday and Saturday, so it remains to be seen if they will be able to compete for pole position.
Furthermore, Friday’s sessions indicated that tire degradation will play a significant role this weekend. Therefore, the team that can effectively manage their tires during qualifying and, more importantly, the race will have an advantage.
Let’s analyze the findings from FP3.
The session started in clear conditions, with the track temperature reaching 42 degrees Celsius and the air temperature recording 26 degrees.
Hamilton wasted no time and was the first to hit the track with soft tires on his Mercedes, setting the first timed lap of the session.
Verstappen did the same, although overall action was relatively low. He opted for hard tires on his RB20.
Soon, more drivers joined the track, with teams using a mix of soft, medium, and hard compounds, suggesting they were running different programs.
Stroll radioed his team, complaining of knee pain and requesting a knee pad. Interestingly, Russell made a similar request shortly after, asking for more foam for knee padding.
After expressing dissatisfaction with his SF-24 on Friday, Leclerc praised his team for the improvements made to the car overnight.
Leclerc stated, “Good job on the car. It’s a good step forward.”
During FP1, the Monegasque driver did not have the updates on his car. He received them in FP2 but lost valuable time due to an unexpected change in setup.
“Good job on the car, it’s a good step forward.”
At the start of FP3, @Charles_Leclerc provides positive feedback while currently occupying fourth position.
Russell once again reported that the padding on his left front leg is not secure. This has become a recurring issue during FP3!
After 30 minutes, the order was as follows: Russell – Norris – Sainz – Leclerc – Hamilton – Verstappen – Ocon – Piastri – Gasly – Albon.
In the second half of the session, most laps were done with high fuel loads using different types of tires. However, with 20 minutes remaining, Norris switches to a new set of soft tires and begins a qualifying simulation.
The Williams drivers, Albon, and Sargeant quickly do the same.
Piastri also starts his qualifying simulation but has to abort his first attempt due to a slide at turn 1.
Norris also abandons his lap after encountering traffic but manages to set the fastest time, despite going slightly off track at turn 12.
Hamilton then sets a quick lap on soft tires but falls short of Norris’ time, finishing in second place. Russell then follows his teammate and secures the second fastest time behind Norris.
Hamilton has a moment with Stroll as the Canadian driver is in his way and expresses his dissatisfaction through contact with the sides of the car.
Hamilton admits that he didn’t see Stroll and takes responsibility for the incident. The incident will be investigated after the session.
With seven minutes remaining, more of the top teams start their qualifying laps. Sainz sets the fastest time, pushing Norris into second place, while Verstappen is the third fastest. The differences between the top three are very small, with less than a tenth of a second separating them.
Leclerc starts his qualifying simulation with less than six minutes remaining. Despite setting two purple sectors, he loses time in the third sector and settles for the third fastest time.
The drivers return to the pits for some quick setup adjustments and then head out for one final qualifying lap with less than three minutes on the clock.
No one improves on their final lap, but Leclerc has a strange moment with Norris. The Ferrari driver apparently collides with the McLaren, which was driving slowly while Leclerc was on a fast lap.
Their incident will be investigated after the session.
© 2024
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