The final free practice session before qualifying got off to a sleepy start, with a wait of almost ten minutes for the first measured lap.
Lewis Hamilton took the first fast lap, followed closely by the two Ferraris. With the pace steadily improving and accelerating, the drivers passed each other for the lead. It was noticeable that both Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen complained a lot about the gearbox, which could lead to some interesting moments later on... The Mercedes and Fernando Alonso dominated half of the session, but it is important to add that they did so on soft compounds. Soon after, Red Bull were on soft tyres and it wasn't long before Verstappen was leading the field. In the final minutes, Alonso made a charge, with Lando Norris joining him in the top 3, and then Carlos Sainz came in and jumped out of nowhere to the lead. Fernando Alonso and Max Verstappen finished behind the Ferraris, and the practice session gave the hope of a close qualifying session. Let's hope we won't be disappointed...
