Charles Leclerc set the pace on the morning of the final Formula 1 test day ahead of George Russell. The Ferrari driver's best effort was a 1:31.024 which was four tenths quicker than the Mercedes, with Felipe Drugovitch third quickest. Leclerc initially struggled to get his fastest effort on the board as the Ferrari lacked grip, the Monegasque going wide at Turn 11 and visibly looked frustrated in the cockpit. The Ferrari driver later settled into race runs to see out the session, completing stints on the softer range of Pirelli compounds and racking up a total of 67 laps. There was only one stoppage when Valtteri Bottas stopped on track with a mechanical issue at Turn 8. The Alfa Romeo appeared to lose power on the exit of Turn 7, with the issue stopping the Fin from completing any further running.
Perez struggles to match Verstappen
Sergio Perez only managed an effort that was good enough for fourth quickest, which was over a second slower than Verstappen's best. The Red Bull driver racked up 69 laps without any major issues, after the team suffered from an oil leak yesterday that hampered much of their running. Alex Albon was sixth quickest in the Williams, however most of his laps featured a lot of oversteer on corner exit. The team clearly still yet to find a sweet spot in the car setup. Nico Hulkenberg put in another solid 77 laps for Haas, with a best time that was seventh quickest.
McLaren problems continue
It was Oscar Piastri's turn to drive the McLaren, however the team still struggled on the final day. The team was seen working again own the front wheelbrows of the car, the team later confirming that there is a "minor structural issue" that should be fixed in time for the Grand Prix next weekend. This still lost Piastri time out on track and when he did eventually get out, the MCL60 looked like a handful as he struggled with car balance. His best time was good enough for eighth fastest ahead of Bottas and Nyck De Vries who was 10th quickest.
Most read
