Persistent Rain and Early Crash Disrupt Belgian GP Practice 3: Red Bull’s Max Verstappen led the third and final practice session on Saturday, July 27 at Spa-Francorchamps, which was heavily affected by persistent rain and a crash involving Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, bringing out the red flags.
Weather Challenges Drivers
Following a mostly dry first day, overnight and morning showers left the track soaked when FP3 began at 12:30 local time, prompting drivers to use intermediate and wet tyres. With more rain forecasted within five to ten minutes of the session start, many drivers took to the track early, resulting in lap times ranging from 2m to 2m 30s.
Heavy Rain Adds to the Drama
As expected, heavy rain soon hit, creating challenging conditions. TV replays showed Lando Norris and Yuki Tsunoda running wide and hitting the gravel at Les Combes. Shortly after, the session was red-flagged when Lance Stroll lost control at Eau Rouge, crashed into the run-off area, and hit the inside wall, causing significant damage and ending his session.
Stroll’s Crash Brings Out the Red Flags
After Stroll’s car was cleared and he was taken to the Medical Centre for precautionary checks, the session resumed with 40 minutes remaining, but Verstappen’s early 2m 01.565s lap time remained unbeaten. With the track getting wetter, most teams stayed in the pits, waiting for conditions to improve.
Belgian GP Practice 3 Result
| POS | NO | DRIVER | CAR | TIME | GAP | LAPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 2:01.565 | 4 | |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 2:02.998 | +1.433s | 4 |
| 3 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 2:03.175 | +1.610s | 5 |
| 4 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 2:03.372 | +1.807s | 4 |
| 5 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 2:05.250 | +3.685s | 7 |
| 6 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 2:06.033 | +4.468s | 4 |
| 7 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 2:06.037 | +4.472s | 4 |
| 8 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 2:06.492 | +4.927s | 7 |
| 9 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 2:06.751 | +5.186s | 3 |
| 10 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 2:07.103 | +5.538s | 3 |
| 11 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 2:07.443 | +5.878s | 3 |
| 12 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 2:08.040 | +6.475s | 5 |
| 13 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 2:08.071 | +6.506s | 4 |
| 14 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT | 2:08.410 | +6.845s | 5 |
| 15 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT | 2:09.444 | +7.879s | 7 |
| 16 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 2:11.109 | +9.544s | 7 |
| 17 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes | 2:11.220 | +9.655s | 3 |
| 18 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 2 | ||
| 19 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 2 | ||
| 20 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 2 |
Session Resumes Amid Worsening Conditions
The session was halted again with 25 minutes left due to deteriorating track conditions. When action resumed with just a few minutes remaining, drivers only managed practice starts in the slippery conditions, leaving Verstappen on top with a lap time nearly 20 seconds slower than Friday’s fastest.
Top Performers in FP3
Oscar Piastri was 1.4 seconds behind in P2, followed by the Alpines of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon, sandwiched between McLaren’s Norris and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Stroll, despite his crash, rounded out the top six.
Valtteri Bottas finished eighth in his Alfa Romeo, followed by Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes and Sergio Perez’s Red Bull. Alex Albon (Williams), Nico Hulkenberg (Haas), and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) completed positions 11 to 13.
Midfield and Back of the Pack
Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo and Tsunoda were 14th and 15th, with Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu and Williams’s Logan Sargeant posting the last lap times. Mercedes’ George Russell, Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz did not post lap times.
Preparing for Qualifying
Drivers and teams will now debrief and make final setup adjustments before qualifying this afternoon, which is expected to feature more rain and is scheduled to begin at 16:00 local time.
