Max fourth in final Suzuka practice session
Published on 08 October 2016 by Stefan Meens
After a sixth and fourth place in the Friday free practice sessions, Max Verstappen finished fourth in FP3 of the Japanese Grand Prix. Mercedes’ Nico Rosberg lapped the iconic Suzuka track fastest, followed by Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel.
At the start of the session, the track is still damp after overnight rain, prompting the drivers to run intermediate and full wet tyres. Jenson Button is the first driver to head out on slicks. His McLaren team mate Fernando Alonso is the first to set a time on a dry weather tyre. Soon after, all drivers follow the McLaren drivers’ lead.
At the halfway point of the session, both Mercedes top the leader boards with the Red Bulls still to be seen on track. When Max finally leaves the pits, he starts a run on the medium Pirelli compound. However, after setting the fifth fastest time on the mediums, the Dutchman returns to the team after flat-spotting his front tyres.
With fifteen minutes to go, the teams’ focus switches to qualifying simulations. Rosberg is once again the quickest. Max is fastest of all in the first sector but eventually has to settle for fourth. Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel split Max and Rosberg. World champion Lewis Hamilton finished the final practice session in P7.
Japanese Grand Prix - Suzuka - Saturday 8 October
FREE PRACTICE 3 01 6 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 1:32.092 14 02 3 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer 1:32.394 +0.302s 10 03 5 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1:32.731 +0.639s 13 04 33 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing TAG Heuer 1:32.784 +0.692s 9 05 7 Kimi Räikkönen Ferrari 1:33.011 +0.919s 12 06 19 Felipe Massa Williams Mercedes 1:33.271 +1.179s 13 07 44 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:33.284 +1.192s 12 08 30 Jolyon Palmer Renault 1:33.639 +1.547s 13 09 20 Kevin Magnussen Renault 1:33.639 +1.547s 10 10 27 Nico Hulkenberg Force India Mercedes 1:33.646 +1.554s 11 11 14 Fernando Alonso McLaren Honda 1:33.714 +1.622s 12 12 21 Esteban Gutierrez Haas Ferrari 1:33.787 +1.695s 16 13 77 Valtteri Bottas Williams Mercedes 1:33.865 +1.773s 9 14 11 Sergio Perez Force India Mercedes 1:33.921 +1.829s 11 15 26 Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso Ferrari 1:34.037 +1.945s 12 16 8 Romain Grosjean Haas Ferrari 1:34.272 +2.180s 13 17 12 Felipe Nasr Sauber Ferrari 1:34.388 +2.296s 12 18 9 Marcus Ericsson Sauber Ferrari 1:34.544 +2.452s 13 19 22 Jenson Button McLaren Honda 1:34.548 +2.456s 11 20 31 Esteban Ocon MRT Mercedes 1:35.230 +3.138s 13 21 94 Pascal Wehrlein MRT Mercedes 1:37.256 +5.164s 10 22 55 Carlos Sainz Toro Rosso Ferrari 1:56.323 +24.231s 3
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