2024 Spanish GP FP3: Sainz Ahead of Norris and Lelerc

Carlos Sainz narrowly beat Lando Norris during FP3 in yet another close practice session before qualifying for the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix.

Ben

By Ben Bush
Updated on October 10, 2024

Carlos Sainz Ferrari FP3 2024 Spanish Grand Prix
Carlos Sainz for Ferrari (Car 55) in FP3 at the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix.

Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz led the pack in the third and final practice session of the 2024 Spanish Grand Prix, closely followed by McLaren’s Lando Norris and his teammate Charles Leclerc.

The session began at 12:30 local time on Saturday, following an intensely competitive FP2 in which drivers from five different teams claimed the top five spots. This heightened the stakes for the final practice, especially given that 30 out of the 33 Grand Prix races at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya since 1991 have been won from the front row.

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During the session, drivers used all three of Pirelli’s tyre compounds. Early on, Mercedes’ George Russell set a preliminary fast time of 1m 13.431s on soft tyres. However, as drivers switched to soft tyres for their qualifying simulations, Sainz claimed the top time with a 1m 13.013s, narrowly beating Norris by just 0.03 seconds and Leclerc by 0.037 seconds.

Max Verstappen, the reigning world champion, finished fourth with a time of 1m 13.087s, while Russell, despite initially leading, fell to fifth, keeping the top five within a tenth of a second of each other.

Lewis Hamilton encountered a minor incident with Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, making contact at Turn 5, which Hamilton acknowledged as his oversight.

Post-session, there was some tension as cars headed back to the pits, including an incident involving Leclerc and Norris, with Norris expressing concern over potential damage to his car.

Amid this drama, Sergio Perez, who faces a three-place grid penalty, ended up seventh. Alex Albon and Fernando Alonso showed improvement, securing spots in the top 10 for Williams and Aston Martin, respectively.

Oscar Piastri, Norris’s teammate, rounded out the top ten, with the Alpines of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly falling to the 11th and 12th spots. The rest of the field saw a mix of performances, with Haas, Kick Sauber, and RB continuing to adjust to updates and positional shifts within the grid.

Spanish GP FP3 Results

2024 Spanish Grand Prix FP3, 22 June 2024

PosNoDriverCarTimeGapLaps
155Carlos SainzFerrari1:13.01319
24Lando NorrisMcLaren Mercedes1:13.043+0.030s14
316Charles LeclercFerrari1:13.050+0.037s18
41Max VerstappenRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT1:13.087+0.074s24
563George RussellMercedes1:13.164+0.151s20
644Lewis HamiltonMercedes1:13.359+0.346s26
711Sergio PerezRed Bull Racing Honda RBPT1:13.723+0.710s19
823Alexander AlbonWilliams Mercedes1:13.753+0.740s14
914Fernando AlonsoAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:13.786+0.773s21
1081Oscar PiastriMcLaren Mercedes1:13.907+0.894s14
1131Esteban OconAlpine Renault1:13.950+0.937s18
1210Pierre GaslyAlpine Renault1:13.964+0.951s14
1327Nico HulkenbergHaas Ferrari1:13.975+0.962s20
1477Valtteri BottasKick Sauber Ferrari1:14.024+1.011s19
1520Kevin MagnussenHaas Ferrari1:14.074+1.061s27
163Daniel RicciardoRB Honda RBPT1:14.161+1.148s17
1718Lance StrollAston Martin Aramco Mercedes1:14.254+1.241s16
1822Yuki TsunodaRB Honda RBPT1:14.420+1.407s22
1924Zhou GuanyuKick Sauber Ferrari1:14.572+1.559s17
202Logan SargeantWilliams Mercedes1:14.729+1.716s12

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About The Author

Chief Editor

Ben Bush
Ben

Ben is our chief editor specialising in F1 from the 1990s to the modern era. Ben has been following Formula 1 since 1986 and is an avid researcher who loves understanding the technology that makes it one of the most exciting motorsport on the planet. He listens to podcasts about F1 on a daily basis, and enjoys reading books from the inspirational Adrian Newey to former F1 drivers.

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