0.2s between Mercedes and Ferrari in FP3

Mercedes and Ferrari were separated by just 0.2s during final practice for the Australian Grand Prix.

While it was a clean sweep for Lewis Hamilton as he again set the fastest time for Mercedes, the triple world champion was only 0.228s clear of Sebastian Vettel in third place as Ferrari showed competitive pace on the supersoft compound tyre.

Nico Rosberg was second fastest in the other Mercedes - 0.176s slower than his team-mate - but had been comfortably quickest on the soft compound tyre as Mercedes initially showed ominous speed. Enjoying a large margin, it was only when the teams switched to the supersofts that the gap closed.

Ferrari had tested the supersoft compound in testing but for Mercedes it was the first time the team had used the red-walled tyre. Rosberg also went off earlier in the session, taking to the escape road at Turn 12 and being followed by Kevin Magnussen in the Renault.

Kimi Raikkonen had a scruffy lap on the supersofts and ended up fifth quickest - 0.6s slower than Vettel - allowing Carlos Sainz to post an eye-catching time for Toro Rosso with the fourth best lap. Sainz was 0.6s slower than Hamilton but the lap suggests Q3 will be the target for Toro Rosso.

Sainz's team-mate Max Verstappen was sixth fastest ahead of Valtteri Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo, Felipe Massa and Sergio Perez, with the Mexican spinning at Turn 15 after putting two wheels on the grass. The McLaren pair of Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button were just outside the top ten, 1.6s off the pace, with Alonso also spinning on the exit of Turn 15.

Yesterday's rain in Melbourne made for a busy session which started in disastrous style for new boy Rio Haryanto and new team Haas. Romain Grosjean was released from his garage and pulled in to the pit lane just as Haryanto was creeping out of his own garage, but the Manor was slow pulling away and drove in to the side of the Haas as it came past.

The two cars were tangled in the pits and had to be pulled apart, with Haryanto needing a new front wing but recovering to complete 23 laps. Grosjean - blameless in the incident - was less fortunate as he needed a new floor and managed just 11 laps late in the session.

There was still encouragement for Haas despite the problems, with both cars ahead of Felipe Nasr in the standings, although all three were covered by just 0.009s. In a more competitive showing than 2015, the entire field was covered by 3.6s.

Follow FP3 for the Australian Grand Prix LIVE

F1i's Australian Grand Prix preview

2016 F1 season: Team-by-team preview

Pos Driver Team Time Laps
01 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:25.624 24
02 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:25.800 25
03 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:25.852 25
04 Carlos Sainz Toro Rosso 1:26.257 28
05 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 1:26.435 23
06 Max Verstappen Toro Rosso 1:26.701 26
07 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1:26.730 28
08 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull 1:26.768 22
09 Felipe Massa Williams 1:27.151 28
10 Sergio Perez Force India 1:27.242 22
11 Fernando Alonso McLaren 1:27.263 20
12 Jenson Button McLaren 1:27.341 20
13 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull 1:27.430 22
14 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 1:27.659 26
15 Kevin Magnussen Renault 1:27.871 24
16 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1:27.988 22
17 Jolyon Palmer Renault 1:28.117 24
18 Esteban Gutierrez Haas 1:28.284 21
19 Romain Grosjean Haas 1:28.292 11
20 Felipe Nasr Sauber 1:28.293 26
21 Pascal Wehrlein Manor 1:29.046 18
22 Rio Haryanto Manor 1:29.272 23
Julien Billiotte

Recent Posts

Las Vegas GP: Hamilton continues on top in second practice

Lewis Hamilton put Mercedes on top of the timesheets for the second time in Las…

13 mins ago

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix Free Practice 2 - Results

Full results from Free Practice 2 for the Las Vegas Grand Prix at Las Vegas,…

15 mins ago

Leclerc confident Ferrari ‘has a shot’ at F1 Constructors’ title

Charles Leclerc believes that Ferrari has a genuine “shot” at beating rival McLaren to Formula…

1 hour ago

Komatsu: F1 teams united against Audi 2026 cost-cap offset

Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu has revealed that nine Formula 1 teams stand in opposition…

3 hours ago

Las Vegas GP: Hamilton leads Mercedes 1-2 in trouble-free FP1

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell led the field in a chilly but trouble-free first practice…

4 hours ago

2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix Free Practice 1 - Results

Full results from Free Practice 1 for the Las Vegas Grand Prix in the United…

4 hours ago