Azerbaijan GP: George Russell bounces back as Oliver Bearman bins it in FP3

George Russell put in a late lap to beat Charles Leclerc to the top spot on the timesheet in final practice in Baku where once again the action was interrupted by red flags.

Esteban Ocon brought out the first when his Alpine came to a halt as he exited Turn 16 while Oliver Bearman was responsible for the second in a Turn 1 crash.

George Russell pips Charles Leclerc to FP3 P1

Mother Nature offered up something a little different as the final practice session in Baku got underway; the absence of wind and the arrival of a spit or two of rain.

Sergio Perez, looking to build his P2 from Friday, reported that the track was a little “damp” as he covered the first lap of the session before heading back to his Red Bull garage. A slow start to the session saw drivers trickling out onto the track, heading back into the pitlane, and then back out onto the track again.

15 minutes in it finally looked as if the first lap time would be posted by Lando Norris only for the red flags to be waved as Esteban Ocon came to a halt out of Turn 16 with a “problem”. Having to wait to ensure Ocon’s car was safe before they could remove it, the marshals eventually did so and the session resumed with 36 minutes on the clock and a long queue waiting in the pit lane.

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Oscar Piastri reported light rain as he clocked the first time of the session, a 1:45.4. Max Verstappen overhauled him for P1 only for Alex Albon to come flying through eight-tenths up on the Dutchman. Franco Colapinto made it a Williams 1-2!

However, F1’s other rookie driver Oliver Bearman was in the barrier with front-right damage to his Haas, which brought out the red flags. He took too much speed into Turn 1, tried to bail out and hit the barrier at the entrance to the escape road. “I’m such an idiot,” he said.

Back underway, traffic was an issue as the remaining 18 drivers flooding out onto the track as not one had completed double digits in laps. Norris finally posted a lap time and went quickest, but that was short-lived before Albon, Leclerc, Perez and then Piastri claimed the top spot. The Aussie lowered the benchmark to a 1:42.7 with 10 minutes to go.

But it was George Russell with a late lap and a tow who finished quickest of all having clocked a 1:42.514, putting him 0.013s up on Leclerc with Norris two-tenths down. Verstappen was P5.

Times

1 George Russell Mercedes 1:42.514 15 laps
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.013 16 laps
3 Lando Norris McLaren +0.223 14 laps
4 Oscar Piastri McLaren +0.235 13 laps
5 Max Verstappen Red Bull +0.350 15 laps
6 Carlos Sainz Ferrari +0.454 16 laps
7 Sergio Perez Red Bull +0.510 15 laps
8 Alex Albon Williams +0.680 13 laps
9 Franco Colapinto Williams +0.724 14 laps
10 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.787 13 laps
11 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.960 15 laps
12 Yuki Tsunoda VCARB +0.989 16 laps
13 Lance Stroll Aston Martin +1.057 18 laps
14 Daniel Ricciardo VCARB +1.356 17 laps
15 Pierre Gasly Alpine +1.362 14 laps
16 Nico Hulkenberg Haas + 1.650 12 laps
17 Valtteri Bottas Kick Sauber +1.673 17 laps
18 Guanyu Zhou Kick Sauber +2.355 19 laps
19 Esteban Ocon Alpine no time 1 lap
20 Oliver Bearman Haas no time 2 laps

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