F1 News, Reports and Race Results

Sebastian Vettel comfortably heads FP3

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel put himself at the top of the FP3 timesheets Saturday morning in Melbourne ahead of qualifying for the Australian GP.

Like the majority of the top ten drivers, the German achieved his fastest lap time - a 1'23.380 - on Pirelli's ultra-soft tyres in a session which was stopped prematurely following a crash by Williams Lance Stroll.

Ferrari apparently solved a slight electrical issue with its SF70H which may have affected performance yesterday, and provided the Italian outfit's driver with an extra boost of power which Vettel has now put to good use.

It remains to be seen however what fuel load the red cars were running relative to their rivals at Mercedes which completed the session second and third, with Valtteri Bottas a littel under half-a-second behind Vettel but just edging out team mate Lewis Hamilton by 0.011s.

Raikkonen was fourth after being force down the escape road following a puncture earlier in the session, but the surprise of the morning came from Nico Hulkenberg who slotted his Renault in an impressive fifth place.

The final hour of FP3was cut short when Lance Stroll hit the wall at the exit of Turn 10, damaging the rear right of his FW40.

F1 rookie Antonio Giovinazzi completed 18 laps for Sauber aftyer taking over from Pascal Wehlein when the German decided to step down Saturday morning.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.