The third and final free practice of the GP Emilia-Romagna resembles a race in its chaotic final phase, due to the severe crash of Sergio Pérez leaving little time for a qualifying lap. However, the time clocked by Oscar Piastri just before is not improved. Teammate Lando Norris records the second time, Carlos Sainz the third, and Max Verstappen the sixth.
Red Bull leaves nothing to chance before the start of the third free practice. The team even skips the traditional pit stop practice in the morning to optimally prepare the RB20s of Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez for the final session. In the first two training hours on Friday, the three-time world champion, in particular, complained about a lack of grip and imbalance. “A bad day,” he concluded.
Verstappen, like Pérez, goes out early (unusually) to see if all the adjustments to the car have had the desired effect. It seems so after his first fast lap. He is less than two-tenths slower than Charles Leclerc, who dominated the first sessions on behalf of Ferrari. However, the Monegasque has set his time on the softest tire, Verstappen on a harder (medium) type. On the same rubber, Lando Norris, winner in Miami two weeks ago, almost equals Verstappen’s time shortly thereafter. The McLaren also seems extremely competitive in Italy.
The final session is halted halfway through for eight minutes, after Fernando Alonso loses control of his car in Rivazza and ends up in the advertising boards. The final minutes are traditionally reserved for a last qualifying run, with the fastest tires on the car and little fuel on board. In it, Piastri sets a fast time first, just before Pérez crashes hard into the wall in Variante Alta, causing his mechanics to work overtime. Max Verstappen also cannot show the real speed of his RB20.
