FP3: Perez tops final practice to demonstrate Red Bull's superior pace in Miami
The final practice for the inaugural Miami Grand Prix saw Sergio Perez set the benchmark with a time of 1m30.304s, beating championship leader Charles Leclerc and reigning world champion Max Verstappen.
Red Bull completed a smooth running in the final session in Florida, making up for the lost time on Friday. Sergio Perez clocked a 1m 30.304s on the soft tyres at the Miami International Autodrome with Max Verstappen finishing third fastest. The Dutchman was set to go quickest on his last hot lap before he locked up at the chicane, almost crashing into the barriers.
The reigning world champion was on a different programme after he lost valuable time on Friday, completing a short run on mediums, then a heavy fuel stint on the same set of tyres before concentrating on qualifying simulation on a fresh set of soft tyres.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took second, 0.194s behind the pace-setter Perez. The Monegasque racked up a total of 23 laps, one of the highest mileages in the field. His team mate Carlos Sainz appeared to have recovered from his crash in FP2, albeit he was unable to keep up with Leclerc’s speed in the final practice session.
Fernando Alonso was the leading midfield runner in fourth, 0.732 off the pace. His team mate Esteban Ocon was unable to set a timed lap as he slammed into the wall at Turn 14. The Alpine driver was taken to the medical centre as a precaution after the impact triggered the G-force limit.
Sebastian Vettel and the two Haas drivers Mick Schumacher and Kevin Magnussen were the stars of the session after they ended up fifth, sixth and eighth fastest respectively thanks to their late fresh tyre runs in the dying minutes of the session.
Following their strong showing on Friday, Mercedes endured a very difficult final practice in Miami. George Russell, who finished FP2 on top, took only 17th while his team mate Lewis Hamilton also ended up down in P15 as both drivers struggled with overheating tyres.
Results
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Rbpt | 1:30.304 | 20 | |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:30.498 | +0.194s | 23 |
| 3 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Rbpt | 1:30.649 | +0.345s | 20 |
| 4 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine Renault | 1:31.036 | +0.732s | 17 |
| 5 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:31.049 | +0.745s | 23 |
| 6 | 47 | Mick Schumacher | Haas Ferrari | 1:31.050 | +0.746s | 18 |
| 7 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:31.172 | +0.868s | 23 |
| 8 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 1:31.227 | +0.923s | 20 |
| 9 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:31.501 | +1.197s | 14 |
| 10 | 4 | Lando Norris | Mclaren Mercedes | 1:31.594 | +1.290s | 18 |
| 11 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Alphatauri Rbpt | 1:31.659 | +1.355s | 23 |
| 12 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:31.665 | +1.361s | 21 |
| 13 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Mclaren Mercedes | 1:31.728 | +1.424s | 18 |
| 14 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo Ferrari | 1:31.885 | +1.581s | 25 |
| 15 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:31.890 | +1.586s | 19 |
| 16 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alphatauri Rbpt | 1:31.901 | +1.597s | 18 |
| 17 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:31.924 | +1.620s | 18 |
| 18 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo Ferrari | 1:32.051 | +1.747s | 16 |
| 19 | 6 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams Mercedes | 1:32.376 | +2.072s | 16 |
| 20 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 3 |
