Subscribe

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Global

Azerbaijan GP: Bottas leads FP3 as Vettel, Verstappen hit trouble

Valtteri Bottas edged out Kimi Raikkonen to lead the way in final free practice for the Formula 1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku.

Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes AMG F1 W08

Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes AMG F1 W08

Steve Etherington / Motorsport Images

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1 W08
Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari SF70H
Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF70H
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1 W08
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1 W08
Nico Hulkenberg, Renault Sport F1 Team RS17, Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF70H
Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing RB13
Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes AMG F1 W08
Sergio Perez, Sahara Force India F1 VJM10, Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari SF70H
Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari SF70H
Carlos Sainz Jr., Scuderia Toro Rosso STR12, Fernando Alonso, McLaren MCL32
Nico Hulkenberg, Renault Sport F1 Team RS17

The Finn clocked a 1m42.742s on the supersoft Pirelli tyres to finish 0.095 seconds clear of Ferrari's Raikkonen.

His Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton, who had a lairy moment at the narrow Turn 8, was three tenths further back in third.

Bottas set the early pace on the soft tyre, heading Raikkonen by almost four tenths of a second.

When teams turned their attention to qualifying simulations on the supersoft tyres, Hamilton and Bottas traded fastest laps.

Hamilton was unhappy with his tyres throughout but Bottas enjoyed a more straightforward session, gradually improving his times over several laps on the supersoft tyres.

Championship leader Sebastian Vettel had a frustrating session, managing just seven laps and ending his running early when Ferrari called him in after spotting "an issue".

The team later confirmed it was a hydraulic problem and he could be set for an engine change for qualifying. 

Vettel did not manage to complete a low-fuel run and finished 12th overall.

Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo popped in a quick lap late on to finish fourth, half a second off the pace, with teammate Max Verstappen, sixth.

Verstappen, who topped both sessions on Friday, was on course to be in the top three before he stopped out on track in the closing stages reporting "everything just switched off".

Esteban Ocon was the leading Force India in fifth with Felipe Massa, who narrowly avoided contact at Turn 8, was seventh.

Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat was eighth, ahead of Lance Stroll, with Sergio Perez completing the top 10.

Nico Hulkenberg was 11th, while his Renault teammate Jolyon Palmer failed to set a representative time after stopping on track early on with a fire at the rear of the car.

McLaren's Fernando Alonso was 14th, two places and half a second clear of teammate Stoffel Vandoorne, with both set to start from the back after heavy grid penalties for engine changes.

ClaDriverChassisEngineLapsTimeGap
1 finland Valtteri Bottas  Mercedes Mercedes 21 1'42.742  
2 finland Kimi Raikkonen  Ferrari Ferrari 14 1'42.837 0.095
3 united_kingdom Lewis Hamilton  Mercedes Mercedes 23 1'43.158 0.416
4 australia Daniel Ricciardo  Red Bull TAG 24 1'43.287 0.545
5 france Esteban Ocon  Force India Mercedes 21 1'43.344 0.602
6 netherlands Max Verstappen  Red Bull TAG 16 1'43.614 0.872
7 brazil Felipe Massa  Williams Mercedes 18 1'43.738 0.996
8 russia Daniil Kvyat  Toro Rosso Renault 21 1'43.908 1.166
9 canada Lance Stroll  Williams Mercedes 17 1'44.040 1.298
10 mexico Sergio Perez  Force India Mercedes 22 1'44.138 1.396
11 germany Nico Hulkenberg  Renault Renault 16 1'44.312 1.570
12 germany Sebastian Vettel  Ferrari Ferrari 7 1'44.344 1.602
13 spain Carlos Sainz Jr.  Toro Rosso Renault 23 1'44.401 1.659
14 spain Fernando Alonso  McLaren Honda 18 1'44.741 1.999
15 denmark Kevin Magnussen  Haas Ferrari 20 1'44.926 2.184
16 belgium Stoffel Vandoorne  McLaren Honda 17 1'45.143 2.401
17 france Romain Grosjean  Haas Ferrari 20 1'45.491 2.749
18 sweden Marcus Ericsson  Sauber Ferrari 21 1'45.645 2.903
19 germany Pascal Wehrlein  Sauber Ferrari 19 1'45.722 2.980
20 united_kingdom Jolyon Palmer  Renault Renault 4 1'53.040 10.298

Be part of Motorsport community

Join the conversation
Previous article Sebastian Vettel talks Ferrari, F1 future.. and singing like Michael Jackson
Next article Sauber chairman hits out at attempts to "demolish" team

Top Comments

There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?

Sign up for free

  • Get quick access to your favorite articles

  • Manage alerts on breaking news and favorite drivers

  • Make your voice heard with article commenting.

Motorsport prime

Discover premium content
Subscribe

Edition

Global