Raikkonen fastest before Spa qualifying shootout

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Kimi Raikkonen put Ferrari back on top in Saturday's final free practice session, achieving a new lap record before this afternoon's qualifying session.

The Finn edged out team mate Sebastian Vettel by 0.197s, with Mercedes Lewis Hamilton just 0.001s behind his championship rival.

It was a close battle at the front in the first half hour of the session, with the top three drivers separated by just 0.058s.

Red Bull's pair of Max Verstappen and Daniel Riccairdo briefly found themselves at the helm after a run on the ultrasoft tyres. They ultimately ended the morning respectively P4 and P5, sandwiching Valtteri Bottas in fifth place.

Renault's Jolyon Palmer put in a great effort to finish the session seventh, in front of Sergio Perez, Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso.

Dany Kvyat was forced to park his Toro Rosso early on when his engine suddenly lost power, while Marcus Ericsson covered just six laps to end up last and over 4 seconds adrift from Kimi Raikkonen.

Belgian Grand Prix - Free Practice 3 results

Pos	Driver	Team	Time	Gap	Laps
1	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	1:43.916s		17
2	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	1:44.113s	+ 0.197s	15
3	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:44.114s	+ 0.198s	11
4	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1:45.034s	+ 1.118s	13
5	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:45.230s	+ 1.314s	18
6	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull	1:45.286s	+ 1.370s	18
7	Jolyon Palmer	Renault	1:45.491s	+ 1.575s	11
8	Sergio Pérez	Force India	1:45.857s	+ 1.941s	14
9	Carlos Sainz	Toro Rosso	1:45.942s	+ 2.026s	18
10	Fernando Alonso	McLaren	1:46.060s	+ 2.144s	12
11	Nico Hülkenberg	Renault	1:46.064s	+ 2.148s	11
12	Esteban Ocon	Force India	1:46.179s	+ 2.263s	14
13	Romain Grosjean	Haas	1:46.196s	+ 2.280s	14
14	Stoffel Vandoorne	McLaren	1:46.300s	+ 2.384s	14
15	Lance Stroll	Williams	1:46.620s	+ 2.704s	18
16	Felipe Massa	Williams	1:46.667s	+ 2.751s	22
17	Kevin Magnussen	Haas	1:46.690s	+ 2.774s	13
18	Daniil Kvyat	Toro Rosso	1:47.903s	+ 3.987s	7
19	Pascal Wehrlein	Sauber	1:48.296s	+ 4.380s	17
20	Marcus Ericsson	Sauber	1:48.300s	+ 4.384s	6

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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.