Vettel and Raikkonen charge on in FP3

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Ferrari underlined once again its strength in Sochi this weekend with Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen topping the timesheets in FP3.

Vettel clocked in a 1:34.001 on supersoft tyres and enjoyed a comfortable margin over team mate Raikkonen, 0.337s adrift.

Lewis Hamilton was an early pace-setter in the session on Pirelli's ultra-soft compound but team mate Valtteri Bottas still had the last word in the Mercedes camp.

Indeed, both looked like they would end the morning on top before Ferrari turned up the heat in the final stages of the session

Max Verstappen ended the morning fifth, with Red Bull team mate Daniel Ricciardo still coming to grips - literally - with his RB13 down in eighth position.

Williams Felipe Massa was sixth while Nico Hulkenberg's P7 performance bodes well for the German's qualifying chances this afternoon.

Following an overnight chassis change Jolyon Palmer failed to set a time. Renault have subsequently decided to change the Brit's engine before qualifying this afternoon.

Free Practice 3 times

Pos	Driver	Team	Time	Gap	Laps
1	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	1:34.001s		17
2	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	1:34.338s	+ 0.337s	16
3	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:34.364s	+ 0.363s	20
4	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:34.542s	+ 0.541s	19
5	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1:35.452s	+ 1.451s	21
6	Felipe Massa	Williams	1:35.471s	+ 1.470s	17
7	Nico Hülkenberg	Renault	1:35.662s	+ 1.661s	15
8	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull	1:35.830s	+ 1.829s	24
9	Carlos Sainz	Toro Rosso	1:36.164s	+ 2.163s	20
10	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	1:36.556s	+ 2.555s	19
11	Lance Stroll	Williams	1:36.649s	+ 2.648s	19
12	Esteban Ocon	Force India	1:36.676s	+ 2.675s	22
13	Daniil Kvyat	Toro Rosso	1:36.846s	+ 2.845s	18
14	Fernando Alonso	McLaren	1:36.869s	+ 2.868s	12
15	Sergio Pérez	Force India	1:36.962s	+ 2.961s	21
16	Romain Grosjean	Haas	1:37.164s	+ 3.163s	20
17	Stoffel Vandoorne	McLaren	1:37.182s	+ 3.181s	15
18	Marcus Ericsson	Sauber	1:37.503s	+ 3.502s	21
19	Pascal Wehrlein	Sauber	1:37.657s	+ 3.656s	17
20	Jolyon Palmer	Renault			4

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.