Max Verstappen set the fastest time ahead of Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez in Saturday’s eventful third and final practice session at the Monaco Grand Prix, which ended with Lewis Hamilton crashing. Defending two-time world champion and series leader Verstappen clocked a fastest lap in one minute (12.776 seconds) to surpass Perez by 0.073 seconds before the session was interrupted four minutes early when seven-time champion Hamilton crashed his revamped Mercedes. He was unharmed and climbed out of his car, apologizing to the team for doing a fast lap.
Lance Stroll was third for Aston Martin ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and McLaren’s Lando Norris in a closely fought hour that saw many of the drivers smash the barriers of the Mediterranean street circuit.
Pierre Gasly was sixth for Alpine ahead of Charles Leclerc in the second Ferrari, Hamilton, who was also fined for speeding in the pit lane in an eventful hour, Esteban Ocon in the second Alpine and Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas.
The session was run in perfect conditions, blue skies and warm sunshine with an air temperature of 27 degrees, with the track at 44. The streets and grandstands were packed with fans.
After a lackluster minute, Alonso went out first with Stroll and the two Alpha Tauris, the rest following at their leisure. Ocon briefly lost power in the tunnel, where he almost stopped, but was saved by a system reset.
Perez was the first to set a fast time for Red Bull in 1:15.641 as the drivers tested the conditions before Norris was best for McLaren, followed by Verstappen in 1:13.794 and then, to the delight of many of the Spaniards in attendance, Alonso who went clear with 0.097 seconds.
‘No control’
Mercedes delayed their entry by over 20 minutes before Russell and Hamilton joined the fray, the Briton recording his first lap after 25 minutes.
After half an hour Red Bull were back in control and set the fastest laps, with Verstappen pulling away from Perez and Leclerc struggling with his Ferrari.
“We have to change the car,” said the Monegask. “I have no control.”
He reported that it was going “like crazy” through the pool complex where teammate Sainz had crashed on Friday.
With 25 minutes to go it was Verstappen in 1:12.776, Perez and Sainz ahead of Leclerc, Hamilton and Alonso.
Proof that they were all pushing hard came when Verstappen swept over a wall and Russell, seventh, did the same in the final sector.
“A big hit against the wall,” the Briton told the team as he pulled into the pits for repairs.
The order was revised as Stroll took third ahead of Sainz as the teams switched to fresh soft tires for a final flurry ahead of the decisive qualifying session set to take place later on Saturday.
After a break, the circuit was as busy as the narrow shopping streets around the port, as Alonso and Verstappen were slowed by rivals before Kevin Magnussen issued yellow flags as he entered the breakaway road at Sainte Devote.
After recovery, he stopped at Portier again and a Virtual Safety Car was deployed.
As soon as his Haas was cleared, Hamilton hit the barriers at Mirabeau and slammed his front left wheel into the railing. The session was red-flagged, with four minutes remaining.
He climbed out of his car unharmed to make his long journey back to the pits as it had been confirmed that the session would not resume.
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