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FP3 Report | Leclerc fastest in FP3. Red Bull report brake issues early on
Charles topped the timesheets in the final practice session in Albert Park on the soft tyre, as the Monegasque driver was followed by Max Verstappen and teammate Carlos Sainz who were both within one-tenth of the leader, setting us up for an unpredictable and intriguing qualifying session. The Red Bull struggled early on with brake issues but finished the session in 2nd and 7th, as the RB20 looks more comfortable on softs.
Early brake issues for Red Bull
Home hero Oscar Piastri, who finished the session in 8th place, was the first out on track at a cloudy Albert Park. The Australian was soon followed by both Red Bulls on medium tyres. Both drivers complained about their brakes early on in the session, with the Dutchman saying to his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase "They are not biting." But, the world champion still set the early pace, putting his RB20 in first place early on in the session, with teammate Perez just behind.
Mercedes and Hamilton struggle, but end the session positively
After a difficult Friday, Mercedes's woes continued, as Lewis Hamilton appeared audibly frustrated with his W15. "Where is all that time man?" Said Hamilton, after discovering he was losing over seven-tenths on the straights. Despite their issues, the Silver Arrows still managed to finish the session in 4th and 5th place.
After a few laps on his mediums, Carlos Sainz set the fastest time of the session, with a 1:16.791 at the halfway point. Much like yesterday, Ferrari continued to show great pace. The SF-24 appears to be very quick around this Albert Park circuit and both Ferraris have a great opportunity for pole position. Towards the end of the session, the Spaniard couldn't improve on softs, and Max Verstappen went fastest. As the chequered flag fell, Charles Leclerc set a 1:16.714 to set us up for an exciting qualifying session, as both Ferrari and Red Bull appear to be pole contenders.