Lando Norris tops Azerbaijan Grand Prix FP3 session as Max Verstappen splits McLaren drivers

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Lando Norris set the fastest time during the Azerbaijan Grand Prix FP3 session, for the second time this weekend, after also putting himself on top in FP1.

Wind picked up for the first Saturday session, with gusts of 25 km/h channelling between the barriers, and causing a headwind down the main straight. Drivers initially appeared hesitant to get out onto the track, with the circuit covered in leaves, resulting in easier conditions for mistakes.

Overnight rain washed away yesterday’s rubber that was laid down on the track, and with the leafy conditions most drivers waited for a few to “clean” the circuit for a few laps before they went out onto the circuit.

The wind caused issues for several drivers over the course of the session, but times were significantly slower than yesterday’s timings in the first half of today’s session. Leclerc topped the times in the first 30 minutes, but times were over two seconds slower than yesterday’s FP2.

Although a strong headwind into Turn 1 allowed for later braking, the tailwind direction between Turns 2 and 3 meant drivers needed to brake sooner. The aggressive winds heading down the second straight saw several drivers, including Lewis Hamilton and Gabriel Bortoleto, speed down the Turn 3 escape road.

Lando Norris started the session sounding unconfident in his McLaren, telling his race engineer Will Joseph that the car felt “sketchy everywhere”. The Brit had a mixed Friday, topping the FP1 time sheets, but found himself out of most of FP2 after a shunt at Turn 4, which broke his car’s suspension.

Despite the difficult start for Norris, he eventually set the fastest time of the session, with Max Verstappen just 0.222 seconds behind. Red Bull’s Verstappen split the McLaren drivers, with Oscar Piastri finally setting a flying lap with just five minutes remaining.

Read more: F1 Azerbaijan Grand Prix: how to watch Baku race, schedule and weather as McLaren could clinch championship

Formula 1 drivers struggle to control cars with windy FP3 conditions

Oliver Bearman, who struggled several times during yesterday’s FP2 session, caused the first yellow flag of the day, after locking up and going down the run-off area in Turn 4. Early in the session, the young Haas driver said the strong winds were “challenging”.

Pierre Gasly clipped the wall at Turn 5, radioing that he had hurt his thumb during the shunt, but continued out on track. The Alpine cars are struggling around the Baku City Circuit, with both drivers finding themselves at the bottom of the timing sheets on Friday.

Liam Lawson went for a Turn 16 spin as the wind dramatically changed direction during the later part of the session. Drivers were hitting a headwind into the corner and along the main straight, but a significant shift saw this become a tailwind with 20 minutes remaining.

Lawson was able to catch the Racing Bulls car with a clean spin, which left him some nasty flat spots on his tyres. Luckily for the Kiwi, he didn’t have to drive far to get back to the pitlane.

Alex Albon put in an impressive time in the Williams with 10 minutes remaining, placing himself in second place on soft tyres. A clean lap, slightly slowed by a yellow flag in sector 1 as he crossed the line, saw the Thai driver set a time of 1:41.983.

Piastri was forced to abandon his first flying lap of the FP3 session, hitting the wall at Turn 4, before later going off down the escape road at Turn 1. The championship leader has struggled during the last two practice sessions, although he was finally able to bring himself towards the top of the leaderboard with just minutes of FP3 remaining.