Valtteri Bottas kept Mercedes on top in the final practice session for the French Grand Prix but heavy rain meant little meaningful running was completed.
Rain began to fall as the session began which meant only the handful of runners who left the pits immediately were able to set times before the track conditions deteriorated. They were led by Bottas, who missed much of yesterday’s second practice session due to a water leak.With a few minutes the track was fully wet and all the drivers had returned to the track.
When it became clear the conditions were not going to improve a handful of drivers took to the track on full wet tyres. They were led by Fernando Alonso.
The Sauber and Williams drivers also ventured out, but found the conditions extremely treacherous and had several off-track moments while lapping a long way off dry-weather pace.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Car | Best lap | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1’33.666 | 3 | |
| 2 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Renault | 1’34.953 | 1.287 | 3 |
| 3 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’35.012 | 1.346 | 5 |
| 4 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren-Renault | 1’36.365 | 2.699 | 4 |
| 5 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1’36.756 | 3.090 | 5 |
| 6 | 2 | Stoffel Vandoorne | McLaren-Renault | 1’37.547 | 3.881 | 4 |
| 7 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Toro Rosso-Honda | 1’38.317 | 4.651 | 5 |
| 8 | 9 | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’38.450 | 4.784 | 3 |
| 9 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Force India-Mercedes | 1’39.641 | 5.975 | 4 |
| 10 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull-TAG Heuer | 1’39.738 | 6.072 | 3 |
| 11 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Force India-Mercedes | 1’40.087 | 6.421 | 4 |
| 12 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’40.743 | 7.077 | 3 |
| 13 | 7 | Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari | 1’49.711 | 16.045 | 3 |
| 14 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Williams-Mercedes | 2’02.399 | 28.733 | 4 |
| 15 | 35 | Sergey Sirotkin | Williams-Mercedes | 2’04.093 | 30.427 | 5 |
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Third practice visual gaps
Valtteri Bottas – 1’33.666
+1.287 Carlos Sainz Jnr – 1’34.953
+1.346 Charles Leclerc – 1’35.012
+2.699 Fernando Alonso – 1’36.365
+3.090 Sebastian Vettel – 1’36.756
+3.881 Stoffel Vandoorne – 1’37.547
+4.651 Pierre Gasly – 1’38.317
+4.784 Marcus Ericsson – 1’38.450
+5.975 Sergio Perez – 1’39.641
+6.072 Daniel Ricciardo – 1’39.738
+6.421 Esteban Ocon – 1’40.087
+7.077 Lewis Hamilton – 1’40.743
Drivers more then ten seconds off the pace omitted.
| Pos | Driver | Car | FP1 | FP2 | FP3 | Fri/Sat diff | Total laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’32.231 | 1’32.539 | 1’40.743 | +8.512 | 55 |
| 2 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1’32.371 | 1’34.156 | 1’33.666 | +1.295 | 39 |
| 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull-TAG Heuer | 1’32.527 | 1’33.243 | 1’39.738 | +7.211 | 59 |
| 4 | Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari | 1’33.003 | 1’33.426 | 1’49.711 | +16.708 | 55 |
| 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1’33.172 | 1’33.689 | 1’36.756 | +3.584 | 59 |
| 6 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-TAG Heuer | 1’33.331 | 1’33.271 | 42 | ||
| 7 | Romain Grosjean | Haas-Ferrari | 1’33.318 | 1’33.699 | 53 | ||
| 8 | Pierre Gasly | Toro Rosso-Honda | 1’33.685 | 1’34.535 | 1’38.317 | +4.632 | 63 |
| 9 | Sergio Perez | Force India-Mercedes | 1’33.719 | 1’36.080 | 1’39.641 | +5.922 | 43 |
| 10 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | 1’34.108 | 1’34.457 | 57 | ||
| 11 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Renault | 1’34.258 | 1’35.086 | 1’34.953 | +0.695 | 61 |
| 12 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren-Renault | 1’34.862 | 1’34.400 | 1’36.365 | +1.965 | 48 |
| 13 | Esteban Ocon | Force India-Mercedes | 1’34.484 | 1’35.705 | 1’40.087 | +5.603 | 43 |
| 14 | Charles Leclerc | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’34.513 | 1’35.583 | 1’35.012 | +0.499 | 59 |
| 15 | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber-Ferrari | 1’34.592 | 1’38.450 | +3.858 | 24 | |
| 16 | Brendon Hartley | Toro Rosso-Honda | 1’34.664 | 1’35.697 | 59 | ||
| 17 | Lance Stroll | Williams-Mercedes | 1’34.881 | 1’35.936 | 2’02.399 | +27.518 | 66 |
| 18 | Nico Hulkenberg | Renault | 1’34.993 | 1’35.067 | 56 | ||
| 19 | Stoffel Vandoorne | McLaren-Renault | 1’35.021 | 1’35.172 | 1’37.547 | +2.526 | 56 |
| 20 | Sergey Sirotkin | Williams-Mercedes | 1’35.105 | 1’35.970 | 2’04.093 | +28.988 | 65 |
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2018 French Grand Prix
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Jere (@jerejj)
23rd June 2018, 13:14
The rain wasn’t supposed to hit the track during any session this weekend, but it still happened, LOL. A sudden big swing in weather conditions in less than 24 hours after FP2 with bright sunny conditions. A little Deja Vu-feeling to Monza last season.
Imre (@f1mre)
23rd June 2018, 13:16
Just another rain-hope and nothing happens at the end…
Mashiat (@mashiat)
23rd June 2018, 13:23
Let’s pray the rain remains for qualifying. Although, it most probably won’t.
Robbie (@robbie)
23rd June 2018, 13:35
Lol the way so many people like the mix of rain and F1 (not me) you’d think the title would have said ‘Bottas quickest as rain enhances final practice session.’ How come it spoils a practice session and yet is so hoped for?;)
Jere (@jerejj)
23rd June 2018, 13:40
@mashiat Definitely no. Race, I wouldn’t mind as much, but qualifying session I definitely always want to be entirely dry so that we could see the full potential of any given season’s cars on any given circuit lap time-wise.
Ju88sy (@)
23rd June 2018, 14:18
Looks like it will be dry, sun is beating down and I can see the dry line on the track at T12 – T14.
Ben Rowe (@thegianthogweed)
23rd June 2018, 14:42
The worrying thing is that if they go out on normal tyres, if they go a fraction wide onto the wet line, that is it probably. Not sure what they will do.