FP3 Report | Verstappen makes statement in Paul Ricard

Max Verstappen was the fastest man in FP3 and looked absolutely on it, crushing the competition with his pure pace. While Ferrari aren't too far away in P2 and P3, it was certain that they couldn't catch the reigning World Champion.

The Red Bulls were the first cars to make it out on track at the beginning of the session and looks rapid from the start. Max Verstappen set only two push laps for the entire session and went fastest both times. While the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz briefly took the top time towards the end of the session, Verstappen responded immediately and set a time three-and-a-half tenths faster that the Spaniard's, on his first lap on soft-tyres. Verstappen is by far the favourite to take pole position later today.

While Verstappen was undoubtedly the fastest man in FP3, his teammate Sergio Perez certainly wasn't. The Mexican never looked as comfortable as the Dutchman and ended up a second slower than the World Champion. In 2021 Perez managed to make it on the podium in France, he'll be looking to repeat this feat tomorrow.

While Carlos Sainz topped FP2 yesterday, and looked more comfortable than his teammate Charles Leclerc today, finishing FP3 in P2, he will have to start the Grand Prix from the back of the grid no matter what. After Sainz's massive engine failure in Austria, he will be taking multiple brand new power-unit components and will be starting from the back of the field on Sunday. However, he won't be alone as he will be accompanied by the Haas of Kevin Magnussen, who will also be taking new power-unit components.

After so much promise and hype coming into the weekend, it seems that Mercedes are back to their usual 'no man's land' of performance, no where near the Ferraris and Red Bulls, but a step ahead of the midfield. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished the session P4 and P6 respectively, but running a whole second slower than the front-runners. The Seven-time World Champion was vocally frustrated in the session about the defecit to the top. It looks like it could be a quiet weekend for the Silver Arrows.