Malaysia – Free Practice 3: Räikkönen leads ahead of Vettel, concerned about his engine
Kimi Räikkönen sets the fastest time of the session ahead of Sebastian Vettel, who experienced a minor engine problem at the end of the session. They are ahead of Daniel Ricciardo in his Red Bull and the two Mercedes of Valtteri Bottas and Lewis Hamilton, who are still struggling.
The first two free practice sessions on Friday were cut short for various reasons. Therefore, this third session carries particular importance for preparing for the qualifications and the race.
It’s Pierre Gasly and his Toro Rosso who take to the track first. The Frenchman complains of persistent understeer in his car. Meanwhile, the fast laps keep coming for the leaders, already on Super Soft tires. Kimi Räikkönen sets an initial benchmark driving his Ferrari with a time of 1:32.665, followed by Valtteri Bottas, who places his Mercedes just 0.6 seconds behind the Finn.
Mercedes are still facing difficulties even though Lewis Hamilton temporarily sets the fastest time of 1:32.650, but it remains far from the best times set yesterday. Fernando Alonso has a small scare by spinning out, but without consequence for the Spaniard who leads his teammate in 10th place. Not too bad for a McLaren-Honda on this type of circuit!
Brief yellow flags as ALO goes for a spin 🔄#MalaysiaGP 🇲🇾 #F1 pic.twitter.com/45lQIB5TB6
— Formula 1 (@F1) 30 septembre 2017
After the first half-hour, all the top drivers switched to the Super Soft tires. Daniel Ricciardo was the last to make this choice and set the fastest time on his first flying lap with this compound at 1:32.091. But the Ferraris returned to the track and Sebastian Vettel, followed by Kimi Räikkönen, took the lead. The Finn set the benchmark time at 1:31.880.
They are therefore ahead of Ricciardo, Bottas, Hamilton, Max Verstappen, the two Force Indias of Sergio Pérez and Esteban Ocon, the Williams of Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso. At the end of the standings, Pascal Wehrlein brings up the rear just ahead of Gasly. The two Haas cars of Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean, searching for balance on their single-seaters, are 16th and 17th.
Just like his teammate, Esteban Ocon goes out for a fast lap. The Frenchman, holding the best time in the first sector, improves his mark and moves up to 7th place, just ahead of Pérez. Felipe Massa, rather discreet until now, enters the Top 10 and is ahead of Lance Stroll.
FASTEST SECTORS
3 sectors, 3 drivers ⏱️#MalaysiaGP 🇲🇾 #F1 pic.twitter.com/PQOLryKXo3
— Formula 1 (@F1) 30 septembre 2017
In the final minutes of the session, Vettel is going slow on the circuit. The German encounters an engine problem on his Ferrari and immediately heads to the pits. A few seconds later, Max Verstappen and Jolyon Palmer collide in the last corner, making a maneuver that would be more fitting in a race than during practice.
Drama at the end of #FP3 😲
PAL hits the rear of VER 💥#MalaysiaGP 🇲🇾 #F1 pic.twitter.com/AACGzY2zQx
— Formula 1 (@F1) 30 septembre 2017
The full ranking of FP3:
INITIAL CLASSIFICATION (END OF FP3): @ScuderiaFerrari on top going in to qualifying #MalaysiaGP 🇲🇾 #F1 pic.twitter.com/0h1j9UYoAz
— Formula 1 (@F1) 30 septembre 2017
