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Formula 1
Spanish GP
F1 Spanish GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP3 & Qualifying
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Hamilton now improves again by a fraction, setting a 1m18.070s. Will we see anybody creeping into the 1m17s?
Verstappen is now out on the soft - having slipped back to P9, what can he do in the closing minutes of FP3?
Replays show the Briton has a snap of oversteer that he corrects, but ends up going straight into the gravel - fortunately though he has enough momentum to dig the car out.
Whoops, Norris drops his McLaren into the gravel at Turn 10 but manages to get it out again.
Raikkonen now crawls slowly into the pits with a right-rear puncture, courteously getting out of everybody's way by staying to the left at the slow final chicane.
Ricciardo and Stroll - both eliminated in Q1 in Portugal - had slid down to P16 and P17 in the order, but both now improve with the McLaren driver jumping up to sixth, the Aston into ninth.
Norris now moves into fifth on a 1m18.494s ahead of the 'Class C' leader - Raikkonen still the fastest man in the first sector.
Raikkonen also improves to a strong 1m18.597s to go fifth, while Russell is up to seventh on a 1m19.005s.
Leclerc set the fastest middle sector of anybody on that lap too, which put him 0.19s behind Hamilton.
Sainz makes good use of his tyres to post a 1m18.410s to move into second, although that's immediately beaten by Leclerc on a 1m18.308s.
The Ferraris and Norris now come out again on softs - another set of the red-walled tyres too for Russell and Raikkonen.
Tsunoda is the only man on track at the moment with the majority of drivers downloading to their engineers and while their cars take on more fuel and a fresh set of rubber. Will we see any significant inroads from Verstappen in the closing minutes of the session on softs?
"Unbelievable this guy in the final sector," says Verstappen on the radio, referencing Hamilton. Now AC-12 is at a loose end, let's get them working on what he could mean there.
Alonso also sets a new PB, but his 1m20.419s only bumps him up on place to 18th ahead of Schumacher.
Tsunoda has set a new personal best, which moves him up to P13 in the AlphaTauri - a 1m19.861s for the Japanese rookie on the medium tyres.
Hamilton has improved again, a 1m18.117s for the reigning world champion - who remember is seeking a 100th pole position after Bottas denied him in Portugal last week.
As it stands, the bottom five who would be eliminated if this were Q1 are Tsunoda in P16, Latifi, Schumacher, Alonso and Mazepin.
Just four cars are currently within a second of FP3 pace-setter Hamilton; those being Bottas, Verstappen and the two Ferraris. Giovinazzi is still up there in sixth in the Alfa, with Gasly, Perez, Russell and Norris completing the top 10 with half an hour remaining in the session.
Intriguingly, the fastest first sector is still held by Raikkonen's Alfa. One wonders what switches he was fiddling with on the wheel to do that?
Sure enough Hamilton goes quickest, with the fastest middle and final sector - it's a 1m18.304s for the reigning world champion.
Movement again at the top of the leaderboard - Bottas now goes quickest on a 1m18.423s on softs, just ahead of Verstappen's 1m18.630s on the medium. Hamilton now out on softs and setting purple sectors though...
Russell meanwhile goes P7 on the softs, a 1m19.908s, just ahead of medium-shod Ocon's 1m19.919s.
Both Ferraris now improve as Leclerc posts a 1m18.882, while Sainz moves up to second on a 1m19.049s.
Meanwhile Verstappen has ventured out of the pits for the first time on mediums, while Bottas is using a soft set. Hamilton is still in the pits, the official winner of the world's most 'exclusive pitlane is lava' game.
Vettel's first time is a 1m19.903s, which puts him P6, the second quickest of the medium-shod cars so far. Norris has posted a time on the mediums slightly slower, a 1m19.922s.
We haven't seen it yet, but the timing screens are reporting that Ricciardo had an off but continued at Turn 13.
Sainz's first time on the softs is only enough for fifth, a 1m19.789s, as Leclerc goes quickest on a 1m18.997s. Perez meanwhile has improved to go third, splitting the two Alfas, on a 1m19.598s on his medium tyres.
The two Ferraris and Haas cars have also come out on soft tyres, while Vettel has emerged on the mediums.
But the Finn's grip on top spot is fleeting as Giovinazzi goes quicker on a 1m19.368s. Still, an Alfa Romeo 1-2 for the time being.
Roll back the clocks; it's Kimi Raikkonen now fastest. Using the soft tyres, the 2007 champion posts a 1m19.732s.
We now have a new fastest time courtesy of Sergio Perez, the Mexican moving to the top of the leaderboard on a 1m20.388s. Ricciardo is currently second on a 1m20.583s, with Alonso on a 1m20.689s in third.
Both Alfas now come out on soft tyres - Raikkonen no doubt eager to make up for his lapse in concentration that ended his Portuguese GP last weekend.
Ricciardo now comes out too, all three cars on track using the medium compound tyre.
Now Alonso has a playmate, as Perez comes to join the fun. No improvement, for the record, from Alonso on that last lap.
Alonso has a slow lap to let the battery recharge before going for another flyer. He's treating the circuit like his own private test venue at the moment.
Alonso sets the first time of the session with a 1m21.020s. For reference, he did a 1m18.518s in yesterday's FP2.
Alonso is on the mediums, and is now starting his first flying lap in the Alpine.
And we have our first taker - it's Fernando Alonso. Reckon he's done his fair share of laps of this place over the past 20-odd years...
This reminds me a bit of that scene in Rat Race where flustered casino owner Donald Sinclair remarks: "Mr Schaefer is currently winning, because he is nearest to the door..."
In answer to our earlier rhetorical question, there has been precisely zero movement towards the pit exit. F1 playing a game of the pitlane is lava as all 20 cars remain rooted in their garages for the time being.
By: James Newbold, Tom Howard, Haydn Cobb
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