Max Verstappen sprung a surprise in the final minutes of Azerbaijan Grand Prix practice, edging Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton to the fastest time in a closely contested and chaotic FP3.
The Red Bull driver produced a 1m43.922s lap during the final qualifying simulations, helped significantly by a powerful slipstream along Baku’s enormous main straight. Russell had looked firmly in control before Verstappen’s late charge, while Mercedes had appeared to have the strongest package throughout Friday.
The session was held in cooler, less representative conditions than Friday’s running, leaving the competitive picture difficult to read ahead of qualifying later on Friday.
Wind adds another layer of difficulty
FP3 began quietly, with the Alpines setting the early pace before the leading teams emerged on soft tyres. Charles Leclerc initially moved ahead of Ferrari team-mate Hamilton with a 1m45.564s effort, only for Hamilton to respond with a 1m45.093s lap.
The tricky conditions soon made their presence felt. Stronger gusts appeared to unsettle the cars, while a brief virtual safety car was required after a tree branch was blown onto the circuit.
Verstappen complained that his Red Bull was “jumping like a kangaroo” before running deep at Turn 15, while several drivers were forced to explore Baku’s generous escape roads.
Lance Stroll had the most costly excursion, hitting the wall at Turn 1 and bringing his Aston Martin to a halt.
Mercedes shows its hand
Mercedes then moved decisively to the front. Kimi Antonelli initially edged Leclerc with a 1m45.046s lap on mediums before Russell lowered the benchmark to 1m44.715s on the same compound.
Once Mercedes switched to softs, Russell extended its advantage. A 1m44.177s lap was followed by an even quicker 1m44.021s effort, putting Antonelli 0.252s adrift.
Verstappen then split the Mercedes duo with the benefit of a substantial tow before delivering his session-leading lap at the very end.
Russell appeared capable of challenging it but locked his front tyres at Turn 1 and subsequently ran straight on at Turn 7, narrowly avoiding the barriers.
Hamilton ultimately snatched third from Antonelli, with Leclerc fifth and Pierre Gasly sixth for Alpine.
McLaren’s difficult Baku weekend continued, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris managing only seventh and eighth despite the team’s latest low-speed cornering upgrades.
Isack Hadjar was ninth for Red Bull, ahead of Alpine’s Franco Colapinto.
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