Kimi Raikkonen preserved Ferrari's advantage in the final free practice session before this afternoon's qualifying run for the Malaysian GP.

The Scuderia continued to dominate proceedings in the ultimate dress rehearsal, with the Finn clocking in just ahead of team mate Sebastian Vettel by just over a tenth.


Malaysian Grand Prix - Free Practice 3 results

Pos Driver Team Time Gap Laps
1 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:31.880s 19
2 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:32.042s + 0.162s 14
3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1:32.091s + 0.211s 16
4 Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1:32.329s + 0.449s 24
5 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:32.539s + 0.659s 20
6 Max Verstappen Red Bull 1:32.579s + 0.699s 17
7 Sergio Pérez Force India 1:33.209s + 1.329s 20
8 Felipe Massa Williams 1:33.240s + 1.360s 20
9 Esteban Ocon Force India 1:33.290s + 1.410s 21
10 Stoffel Vandoorne McLaren 1:33.321s + 1.441s 16
11 Fernando Alonso McLaren 1:33.530s + 1.650s 17
12 Lance Stroll Williams 1:33.538s + 1.658s 21
13 Kevin Magnussen Haas 1:33.787s + 1.907s 10
14 Nico Hülkenberg Renault 1:33.871s + 1.991s 14
15 Carlos Sainz Toro Rosso 1:33.924s + 2.044s 22
16 Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso 1:34.206s + 2.326s 24
17 Jolyon Palmer Renault 1:34.475s + 2.595s 12
18 Romain Grosjean Haas 1:34.914s + 3.034s 19
19 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1:34.936s + 3.056s 19
20 Pascal Wehrlein Sauber 1:35.045s + 3.165s 19


Vettel concluded his run with engine trouble however, an issue which will warrant further investigations before this afternoon's crucial grid-defining.

Daniel Ricciardo was hot on the heels of the red squad however, proving that Red Bull will be a force to be reckoned with later on.

In a bid to boost its performance, Hamilton and Bottas ran on different set-ups in FP3 with the former reverting to slightly older settings while the latter stuck with Mercedes' latest updates.

The split choice appeared to favor Hamilton who moved to the top of the timesheet half way through the 60-minute session before Ferrari upped the pace.

Max Verstappen ended the session P6 but it was an untidy end for the Dutch driver who tangled with Jolyon Palmer's Renault in the closing stages of FP3.

The Brit was on a flying lap and tried to brake down the inside of the Red Bull only to hit Verstappen and damage the Renault's front wing in the process.

Having passed the pit entry, Verstappen spun around to enter the pitlane, driving the wrong way on the track!

The incident landed both drivers in hot water as they were summoned to the Stewards.

Both Force India and Williams' Felipe Massa rounded off the top ten.

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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.

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