Valterri Bottas led Lewis Hamilton in the final free practice session as Mercedes start to show their true pace. Alexander Albon missed the majority of the session after his Red Bull developed electrical issues and Nico Hulkenberg continues to impress.
Report:
The track was 10 degrees cooler than the previous session, which appeared to make a significant difference for some of the teams. As the drivers took to the track, Alexander Albon remained in his garage as his team worked intensely to fix an electrical issue with his car. Yet more pressure being applied to the Thai-British driver.
The Mercedes took the first 2 places early on, and were never truly challenged throughout the session. Max Verstappen stayed within touching distance throughout the session and appears to have the upper hand against the Racing Points. Lance Stroll and Nico Hulkenberg switched positions throughout the session but Stroll eventually finished 3 tenths in front in 4th. It will be crucial that Stroll continues to out-perform Hulkenberg, but the German continues his strong form.
Ferrari appeared to have some genuine pace in the first 2 sectors, but both drivers consistently lost time in the final sector. Sebastian Vettel’s issues persisted, the 4 time world champion reporting something loose in the cockpit for the second session in a row. He would eventually finish 14th with team-mate Charles Leclerc 6th. Mclaren made significant progress with 5th and 7th placed finishes. This follows 2 unremarkable Friday sessions, with few speculating that their car may not suit Silverstone.
Meanwhile, Alfa Romeo fell back after an encouraging start to the weekend and seem to be the slowest car this weekend. Haas remain slightly in front, While George Russell out performed both constructors to finish 16th. Nicolas Latifi finished last, still not able to extract the full potential of his Williams.
A definite order is now starting to become evident with Mercedes unsurprisingly on top. However, the Silverstone circuit is known to throw a few surprises. With windy conditions predicted, there may be a few upsets ahead.
Standings:
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- Valtteri Bottas 1:25.873
- Lewis Hamilton +0.138
- Max Verstappen +0.300
- Lance Stroll +0.703
- Carlos Sainz +0.791
- Charles Leclerc +0.898
- Lando Norris +0.925
- Daniel Ricciardo +0.968
- Nico Hulkenberg +0.999
- Pierre Gasly +1.173
- Daniil Kvyat +1.203
- Esteban Ocon +1.285
- Alexander Albon +1.305
- Sebastian Vettel +1.378
- Romain Grosjean +1.664
- George Russell +1.865
- Antonio Giovinazzi +1.952
- Kevin Magnussen +1.987
- Kimi Raikkonen +2.103
- Nicholas Latifi +2.239
Feature Image Credit: BBC.co.uk/sport
