F1 Belgian GP: Verstappen tops wet FP3 as Stroll crashes

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen topped a rain-hit FP3 session at Formula 1’s Belgian Grand Prix, where Lance Stroll crashed and the officials suspended running due to the deluge.

Oscar Piastri and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly slotted into second and third ahead of Lando Norris in the second McLaren before the first disruption occurred with Stroll’s accident, with minimal action taking place thereafter.

Verstappen lined up at the end of the pitlane to hit the track as soon as the one-hour session got under way and he duly set the first place benchmark at 2m03.232s – some 20s slower than the quickest time in FP2 on Friday.

Verstappen continued on a four-lap run on the intermediates – working the leading time down to a 2m03.565s as the opening five minutes ended, to lead Piastri, Gasly and Norris.

The last named was one of two drivers to have an off at Turn 9 – the last part of Les Combes – and skate through the gravel, with McLaren later opting to change the floor on his MCL38 as a result.

The rain then intensified and the drivers stopped improving, then started trickling back to the pits, when Stroll crashed at Raidillon having lost the rear of his Aston Martin halfway up the hill from Eau Rouge.

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24

Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

The Canadian spun around having appeared to have aquaplaned, with his left-front smashing against the barriers underneath the giant grandstand at this spot, before Stroll pulled over a little way further one as the session was red flagged.

After a near 10-minute delay, the session resumed with two thirds remaining but given the conditions, the pack remained in the pits.

The next 15 minutes passed with no cars heading out and the rain continuing to stream down, race control stopped the session for a second time.

The medical car was sent around to assess the conditions shortly after the second red flag period began, but the session only got going again with two minutes remaining.

Right at the end, a handful of drivers – including Carlos Sainz and Kevin Magnussen, who had not appeared during the early running – headed out on the wet tyres, but with not enough time left to start a flying lap, the early order was preserved to the end.

During his out-lap, Sainz slipped off into the gravel at Turn 10, as Verstappen had nearly done right at the start of the session.

Behind the top four, Esteban Ocon led Charles Leclerc, with Stroll, Valtteri Bottas, Lewis Hamilton and Sergio Perez rounding out the top 10.

F1 Belgian GP - FP3 results

Main Information Additional Data Driver Info Driver Info

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Main Information Additional Data 1  -  2
Cla	Driver	#		Chassis	Engine	Laps	Time	Interval	km/h
1	M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing	1		Red Bull	Red Bull	4	2'01.565		207.414
2	O. Piastri McLaren	81		McLaren	Mercedes	4	+1.433 2'02.998	1.433	204.998
3	P. Gasly Alpine	10		Alpine	Renault	5	+1.610 2'03.175	0.177	204.703
4	L. Norris McLaren	4		McLaren	Mercedes	4	+1.807 2'03.372	0.197	204.377
5	E. Ocon Alpine	31		Alpine	Renault	7	+3.685 2'05.250	1.878	201.312
6	C. Leclerc Ferrari	16		Ferrari	Ferrari	4	+4.468 2'06.033	0.783	200.061
7	L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing	18		Aston Martin	Mercedes	4	+4.472 2'06.037	0.004	200.055
8	V. Bottas Sauber	77		Sauber	Ferrari	7	+4.927 2'06.492	0.455	199.335
9	L. Hamilton Mercedes	44		Mercedes	Mercedes	3	+5.186 2'06.751	0.259	198.928
10	S. Perez Red Bull Racing	11		Red Bull	Red Bull	3	+5.538 2'07.103	0.352	198.377
11	A. Albon Williams	23		Williams	Mercedes	3	+5.878 2'07.443	0.340	197.848
12	N. Hulkenberg Haas F1 Team	27		Haas	Ferrari	5	+6.475 2'08.040	0.597	196.925
13	F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing	14		Aston Martin	Mercedes	4	+6.506 2'08.071	0.031	196.878
14	D. Ricciardo RB	3		RB	Red Bull	5	+6.845 2'08.410	0.339	196.358
15	Y. Tsunoda RB	22		RB	Red Bull	7	+7.879 2'09.444	1.034	194.790
16	Z. Guanyu Sauber	24		Sauber	Ferrari	7	+9.544 2'11.109	1.665	192.316
17	L. Sargeant Williams	2		Williams	Mercedes	3	+9.655 2'11.220	0.111	192.153
18	K. Magnussen Haas F1 Team	20		Haas	Ferrari	2	+13.598 2'15.163	3.943	186.548
19	G. Russell Mercedes	63		Mercedes	Mercedes	2
20	C. Sainz Ferrari	55		Ferrari	Ferrari	2
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