FP3 LIVE | Third practice session for the F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku
Red Bull Content Pool
Live
- GPblog.com
The third free practice session for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix is scheduled for early Saturday afternoon. On the street circuit of Baku, the lights will jump to green at 12:00 UK time. It is the last chance for the Formula 1 drivers, including Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen, to find the optimal set-up for the rest of the weekend.
F1 LIVE | FP3: Azerbaijan Grand Prix
It is certain that Red Bull Racing and Ferrari will once again decide who will fight for pole position, but which team will eventually take the first starting spot is still uncertain. During the first two free practice sessions, the margins were minimal, although Ferrari seems to be slightly faster than Verstappen and Sergio Perez over one lap.
Different set-ups Red Bull and Ferrari
Red Bull has opted for a low-downforce set-up with its car. The RB18 is incredibly fast on the straights and gains mainly there compared to Ferrari's F1-75. The Italian racing team from Maranello is driving in Baku with more wing and has better traction, so they are gaining a lot of time in the slower sections of the track.
It will be interesting to see how the proportions are in the midfield. Mercedes and AlphaTauri seem to be the numbers three and four based on Friday, but things can change tremendously in Formula 1 within a 24-hour period. For McLaren, at least, there is work to be done. The team that we usually see back in Q3, has to recover from a poor first day in Azerbaijan.