Oscar Piastri went quickest in the final practice session for the 2024 FIA Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix, beating McLaren team-mate Lando Norris by just under six hundredths of a second as Carlos Sainz finished third for Ferrari, more the three tenths off the McLarens.
In cooler conditions than Friday, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen got things underway, with the championship leader posting a Soft tyre lap of 1:18.397. Making up for time lost yesterday, when a PU issue sidelined him for all but four laps in FP2, the Dutchman then embarked on a 16-lap run on Softs that kept firmly rooted in the midfield for the opening half of the session.
Mercedes’ George Russell soon took top spot with a lap of 1:18.284 but it was left to the Ferrari pair to take the times into the range seen at the end of day one. Carlos Sainz jumped to top spot with lap of 1:17.825 and he was backed up by team-mate Charles Leclerc who slotted into P2 with a lap of 1:17.889. Mercedes Lewis Hamilton moved to third with a time of 1:18.123 but he was eclipsed by Norris whose opening run netted him a time of 1:17.902.
Elsewhere, at the 20-minute mark home hero Sergio Pérez was the last man out on track but while he initially vaulted from P20 to P7 his stay in the top 10 was short as better times came in.
After 25 minutes Leclerc went again and this time he took P1 with a lap of 1:17.616. He was almost immediately shunted out of top spot, however, as Sainz usurped him with a time of 1:17.447. Pérez then made another foray into the top 10 with a lap of 1:18.000 that put him fourth. Checo up to fourth with next run 1:18.000 and the Mexican was pushed back by RB’s Yuki Tsunoda who after his third-placed heroics on Friday rose to the same spot with a time of 1:18.834, improbably set on Medium tyres.
Leclerc was back on track again, though, and once again the Monegasque driver claimed top spot with a lap of 1:17.430. Sainz was just behind him on track and when the Spaniard crossed the line he once again bested his team-mate with a lap of 1:17.334.
With a little under 20 mins to go the Red Bull drivers emerged on fresh Softs and Verstappen jumped to the top of the order with a lap of 1:17.003, while Pérez climbed to fifth.
Verstappen’s time looked a genuine contender but the McLaren drivers were back on track and after Norris had stopped the clock at 1:16.551, Piastri went even quicker to post a time of 1:16.492 that left the Dutchman half a second off the pace.
With 12 minutes left both Ferraris went out again and though Leclerc couldn’t find an improvement Sainz rose to third with a time of 1:16.832.
Verstappen was left with fourth place ahead of Hamilton with Leclerc in sixth. Tsunoda ended the session in an impressive seventh place, 0.039s ahead of Russell, while Kevin Magnussen took P9 for Haas ahead of the other RB of Liam Lawson. Albon took 11th place for Williams, with Franco Colapinto 12th for Williams ahead of Pérez.
2024 FIA Formula 1 Mexico City Grand Prix – Free Practice 3
1 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 1: 16.492 18 202.562
2 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 1: 16.551 0.059 18 202.406
3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 1: 16.832 0.340 21 201.665
4 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1: 17.003 0.511 26 201.218
5 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1: 17.060 0.568 21 201.069
6 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1: 17.232 0.740 24 200.621
7 Yuki Tsunoda RB/Honda RBPT 1: 17.302 0.810 20 200.439
8 George Russell Mercedes 1: 17.341 0.849 28 200.338
9 Kevin Magnussen Haas/Ferrari 1: 17.474 0.982 19 199.994
10 Liam Lawson RB/Honda RBPT 1: 17.494 1.002 23 199.943
11 Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 1: 17.511 1.019 19 199.899
12 Valtteri Bottas Sauber/Ferrari 1: 17.639 1.147 25 199.569
13 Franco Colapinto Williams/Mercedes 1: 17.712 1.220 18 199.382
14 Sergio Pérez Red Bull/Honda RBPT 1: 17.787 1.295 19 199.190
15 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Mercedes 1: 17.798 1.306 23 199.161
16 Nico Hülkenberg Haas/Ferrari 1: 17.819 1.327 20 199.108
17 Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Mercedes 1: 17.900 1.408 26 198.901
18 Esteban Ocon Alpine/Renault 1: 18.324 1.832 19 197.824
19 Zhou Guanyu Sauber/Ferrari 1: 18.428 1.936 18 197.562
20 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Renault 1: 18.454 1.962 20 197.496
Source : Fia
