Free Practice 3: Hamilton fastest as Ferrari suffer with one-lap pace

Lewis Hamilton was fastest in this morning's final free practice session in Belgium, with Esteban Ocon finishing the session in second ahead of Lando Norris.

After missing a lot of running during yesterday's  FP1, the two Haas cars of Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen were out on track straight away, Magnussen three tenths ahead of his teammate on the timesheet in the opening minutes of the session.

Drops of rain started to fall fifteen minutes into the session as clouds loomed around the circuit, with teams reporting rain at some sections of the circuit, while other parts were dry.

Red Bull's Alexander Albon was the first of the frontrunners to appear on the track, beating Magnussen's time by almost eight tenths on his first attempt, as teammate Max Verstappen left the pits on the soft tyre.

Bottas then went fastest over Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton, with a time of 1:43.813. Esteban Ocon continued the promising form for Renault, setting a time good enough for fourth during his opening laps of the session.

Verstappen looked to have enough to keep with the Mercedes in the session, with his best time coming within a tenth of Bottas' fastest.

Fourth went to Albon while Bottas finished in fifth. Verstappen ended the session in sixth, while Daniel Ricciardo ended the final practice in seventh.

With over twenty minutes left in the session, Racing Point's Sergio Perez reported rain on the circuit, while reports from Sky F1's Martin Brundle suggested more rain was starting to fall at Eau Rouge.

For the final ten minutes of the session, the majority of the field left the pits on the soft tyres, looking to use the last couple of minutes for some quick qualifying lap times.

Hamilton took the fastest time ahead of Ocon, as Bottas locked up at La Source. Multiple drivers complained of cars slowing at the Bus Stop chicane, with a number of cars slowing in order to gain an advantage from the car in front.

Eighth and ninth went to Lance Stroll and Carlos Sainz, while Perez rounded out the top ten.

Ferrari suffered massively in the session, with Charles Leclerc only setting a time good enough for seventeenth, while Sebastian Vettel was last out of twenty cars in the session, with the team looking to be an average of two seconds off the pace to Mercedes.

 

 

hardly surprising. Ferrari fell down the bullshit tree and hit every single branch on the way down this year in terms of car performance.

  • 2
  • Aug 29 2020 - 16:07

Replies (3)

Login to reply
  • One of the worst Ferrari cars I' ve ever seen in the last 45 years.

    • + 0
    • Aug 29 2020 - 13:08
  • hardly surprising. Ferrari fell down the bullshit tree and hit every single branch on the way down this year in terms of car performance.

    • + 2
    • Aug 29 2020 - 16:07

AZ Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Local time 

AZAzerbaijan Grand Prix

Local time 

World Championship standings 2025

Show full world champion standings

Test calendar

See full test schedule

Related news

Give your opinion!

Will Bottas challenge Hamilton for the world championship in 2020?

Formula 1 Calendar - 2025

Date
Grand Prix
Circuit
-
Bahrain
14 - Mar 16 2025
Australia
21 - Mar 23 2025
China
4 - Apr 6 2025
Japan
11 - Apr 13 2025
Bahrain
18 - Apr 20 2025
Saudi Arabia
2 - May 4 2025
United States of America
16 - May 18 2025
Italy
23 - May 25 2025
Monaco
30 - Jun 1 2025
Spain
13 - Jun 15 2025
Canada
27 - Jun 29 2025
Austria
4 - Jul 6 2025
United Kingdom
25 - Jul 27 2025
Belgium
1 - Aug 3 2025
Hungary
29 - Aug 31 2025
Netherlands
5 - Sep 7 2025
Italy
19 - Sep 21 2025
Azerbaijan
3 - Oct 5 2025
Singapore
17 - Oct 19 2025
United States of America
24 - Oct 26 2025
Mexico
7 - Nov 9 2025
Brazil
21 - Nov 23 2025
United States of America
28 - Nov 30 2025
Qatar
5 - Dec 7 2025
United Arab Emirates
See full schedule

Formula 1 Calendar - 2025

Date
Grand Prix & Circuit
14 - Mar 16 2025
Australia Albert Park
21 - Mar 23 2025
4 - Apr 6 2025
11 - Apr 13 2025
18 - Apr 20 2025
Saudi Arabia Jeddah Street Circuit
2 - May 4 2025
United States of America Miami International Autodrome
16 - May 18 2025
23 - May 25 2025
Monaco Monte Carlo
30 - Jun 1 2025
13 - Jun 15 2025
27 - Jun 29 2025
Austria Red Bull Ring
4 - Jul 6 2025
United Kingdom Silverstone
25 - Jul 27 2025
1 - Aug 3 2025
Hungary Hungaroring
29 - Aug 31 2025
Netherlands Circuit Zandvoort
5 - Sep 7 2025
Italy Monza
19 - Sep 21 2025
Azerbaijan Baku City Circuit
3 - Oct 5 2025
17 - Oct 19 2025
United States of America Circuit of the Americas
24 - Oct 26 2025
7 - Nov 9 2025
Brazil Interlagos
21 - Nov 23 2025
United States of America Las Vegas Street Circuit
28 - Nov 30 2025
5 - Dec 7 2025
United Arab Emirates Yas Marina Circuit
See full schedule
show sidebar