F1 News
Gasly finishes FP3 fastest, with Magnussen and Bottas in the top three
The mystery has grown ahead of qualifying for the Dutch Grand Prix because there was no significant running during the third free practice session. Logan Sargeant crashed heavily just as the track started to dry, which meant a red flag stopped most of the session while the barrier was repaired.
Sargeant climbed out of the car unaided and returned to the paddock after a brief trip to the medical centre. The first part of the session occurred in wet conditions. Any changes teams made overnight will not be significantly tested before qualifying at Zandvoort as the session was red-flagged in the better conditions.
The session resumed with two minutes to go, meaning most drivers completed one lap. In the final stages, the leaderboard was like a fruit machine as drivers raced against each other to set a lap. Pierre Gasly set the fastest lap time, with Kevin Magnussen and Valtteri Bottas in the top three.
How the Dutch GP's third free practice session unfolded
Those who ventured onto the circuit for the early running used full-wet tyres. As was the case on Friday, the first session of the day started with a very wet circuit. After just four minutes, Nico Hulkenberg described the circuit as ready for the intermediate tyres. Following that report, Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz and Aston Martin decided to give the conditions a go.
Hulkenberg then created the first yellow flag of the session. The German had braking issues on Friday, and the same appeared to happen again for the Haas driver. He shot straight on at the corner and hit the barrier at speed. He completely crushed the front wing but made it back to the pitlane. George Russell then triggered another yellow with a spin.
But the bigger problem came when Logan Sargeant crashed hard into the wall. The American had a heavy impact, and a fire started at the rear of the car. The Williams driver was okay but likely ended his hopes of competing in qualifying. The session had a lengthy delay while the barrier and track was repaired. It resumed with two minutes remaining.