The latest F1 free practice in France had more news outside than inside: Verstappen was fastest and Sainz will start last

The last Formula 1 training session is usually not the most anticipated. On the contrary, it is a time when the riders try race strategies and there is little showmanship on the track. The third rehearsal session French Grand Prix on the Paul Ricard circuit was no exception, nor who set the best time: Max Verstappen reached 1: 32.272 on soft tires to be the best with Red Bull.

The strongest news, perhaps, occurred off the track. As expected, he confirmed that Carlos Sainz incorporated more components into his Ferrari powertrain – he had already started it on Friday – and, therefore, will start in the last row on Sunday at 10where he will be joined by Kevin Magnussen, who also changed most of the Haas’ engine, according to the FIA.

So it was that, after Verstappen had set a record of 1: 32.808 with medium tires, they both decided to go out with the reds. Sainz didn’t take long to finish second, 409 thousandths from the reigning champion when he took to the track just before 20 laps. It should be noted that in the first few minutes there were only five times, after Hamilton finished fourth between Ocon and Magnussen.

Instead, Ferrari put Leclerc on the harder compound of which he in France and with White was the only rider on track with them, but he was slow and finished almost a second and a half on his first fastest lap. After, a 360 ° ride scared the fans but, on a track with good protection, he didn’t hit the car. Shortly thereafter, Sainz came in with a record and set the fastest lap, but he stepped on the curb and exited at Turn 11, missing the corner, then entered the pits.

It was the last quarter of an hour, certainly the most exciting. With most of the riders on red tires -in a free position for free practice of the qualifying of 12-, neither Leclerc nor Sainz were able to take down Verstappen in his first laps launched with the soft tires and were respectively 0.101 and 0.364, until the Madrid-born did not make it: 1 : 32.626 to be the first temporarily.

Perhaps this motivated Red Bull despite the traffic pulled his top rider out of the paddock at the end of the training and also placed the softer tires. The champion did not take a single lap to get on top of the others, beating Sainz by 354 thousandths and scoring the best time with the reds (1: 32.272).

“My tires died on the second lap, I don’t know why“, complained Leclerc, who could not leave behind his team mate’s time and was third but at 0.637 from Verstappen’s new time. Not encouraging in the face of a ranking in which Sainz will have little to do, given that he is condemned starting from the bottom, and the Monegasque will be the only one to have the opportunity to stop the champion.

An encouraging time for Lewis Hamilton, fourth, behind the Ferraris even if almost a second behind Verstappen. While Checo Pérez could not match his teammate and was fifth, at 1,021, and among the Mercedes, since he beat George Russell (6th) by 83 thousandths.

Among the top ten to surprise Alex Albon, who places Williams in eighth place, 1,286 from Verstappen. The quartet is completed by Fernando Alonso (7th with the Alpine), Lando Norris (9th, McLaren) and Yuki Tsunoda (10th, Alpha Tauri). The bad news, meanwhile, was that the gaps were relatively large, with 1,104 seconds separating the former from the sixth.

With this landscape, which once again included a poor performance by Aston Martin, with Sebastian Vettel in last place and Lance Stroll, two in front, who only surpassed Mick Schumacher, the ranking at 11 in Argentina is expected. The activity will be televised by Fox Sports. and Stella +.