Verstappen tops FP3 and throws Red Bull into the mix!

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Max Verstappen edged out Mercedes Lewis Hamilton by just a tenth of a second in the last free practice session before this evening's all-important qualifying stint.

Although it wasn't quite as hot as yesterday afternoon, Bahrain was still basking in scorching heat when FP3 got underway, but it wasn't a mad dash for drivers to rush out in the early stages.

As the session unfolded and teams gradually took to the track, Williams’ Felipe Massa went fastest with a 1:33.720, but this was soon beaten by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen although the lap appeared to be ridden with errors.

The session was interrupted for short period after 35 minutes when Romain Grosjean spun his Haas on the exit of Turn 4. The French driver eventually succeeded however in limping back to the pits although he took no further part in the session.

When the session resumed, Sebastian Vettel vaulted his Ferrari to the top with the top four drivers covered at that point by just five hundreds of a second.

Hamilton set a competitive time only late in the session, ultimately placing himself P2 on the time sheet, using like his colleagues the supersoft compound tyre.

Vettel ended the session P3, narrowly beating Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen. Felipe Massa concluded his stint in sixth place ahead of Daniel Ricciardo.

Free Practice 3 results

Pos	Driver	Team	Time	Gap	Laps
1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1:32.194s		8
2	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:32.304s	+ 0.110s	10
3	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	1:32.750s	+ 0.556s	10
4	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:32.754s	+ 0.560s	13
5	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	1:32.785s	+ 0.591s	9
6	Felipe Massa	Williams	1:32.801s	+ 0.607s	12
7	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull	1:32.809s	+ 0.615s	8
8	Nico Hülkenberg	Renault	1:32.933s	+ 0.739s	9
9	Carlos Sainz	Toro Rosso	1:33.604s	+ 1.410s	18
10	Daniil Kvyat	Toro Rosso	1:33.744s	+ 1.550s	11
11	Sergio Pérez	Force India	1:33.916s	+ 1.722s	14
12	Fernando Alonso	McLaren	1:33.922s	+ 1.728s	10
13	Pascal Wehrlein	Sauber	1:33.947s	+ 1.753s	15
14	Lance Stroll	Williams	1:33.965s	+ 1.771s	15
15	Stoffel Vandoorne	McLaren	1:34.027s	+ 1.833s	15
16	Esteban Ocon	Force India	1:34.064s	+ 1.870s	17
17	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	1:34.198s	+ 2.004s	13
18	Romain Grosjean	Haas	1:34.205s	+ 2.011s	14
19	Marcus Ericsson	Sauber	1:34.268s	+ 2.074s	15
20	Jolyon Palmer	Renault	1:34.417s	+ 2.223s	11

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.