Charles Leclerc posted the fastest lap of FP3 for the FIA Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix to make it a clean sweep of practice session top sports, though the championship leader finished just seven hundredths of a second ahead of defending champion Max Verstappen with George Russell third in an improved Mercedes.
Leclerc and team-mate Carlos Sainz, who was in a changed chassis owing to fuel system problem, began the final practice where they left off at the end of FP2, with Sainz and then Leclerc claiming top sport when they took to the track after 15 minutes.
Leclerc jumped to the top of the order with a lap of 1:20.278. Verstappen didn’t emerge until close to the halfway mark and he slotted into P2. Leclerc went for a second run on softs and he set a new benchmark of 1:19.772 that remained until the end of the session.
Sainz also improved on a second run with a lap of 1:20.129s, but that was only good enough for fifth place as Mercedes’ upgraded W13 continued to impress.
George Russell finished third in the uprated car, posting a lap of 1:19.920 that left him just 0.148 behind Leclerc. Lewis Hamilton meanwhile took fourth place with a lap of 1:20.002 that put him a tenth ahead of Sainz who in turn two tenths ahead of the second Red Bull of Sergio Pérez.
Lando Norris finished seventh for McLaren, with team-mate Daniel Ricciardo 11th, while Kevin Magnussen (Haas) and Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) produced encouraging displays for their respective teams by securing top-10 spots along with Alpine’s Esteban Ocon.
There was trouble in the session, though, for Mick Schumacher and Pierre Gasly.
AlphaTauri driver Gasly was forces to return to his team’s garage at the end of his installation lap, smoke emanating from the rear of his AT03. Haas driver Schumacher had a fire on hi rear-right brake assembly.
2022 FIA Formula 1 Spanish Grand Prix – Free Practice 2
1 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 23 1:19.772
2 Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing 12 1:19.844 0.072
3 George Russell Mercedes 16 1:19.920 0.148
4 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 18 1:20.002 0.230
5 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 23 1:20.129 0.357
6 Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing 19 1:20.260 0.488
7 Lando Norris McLaren 18 1:20.403 0.631
8 Kevin Magnussen Haas 21 1:20.646 0.874
9 Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo 24 1:20.781 1.009
10 Esteban Ocon Alpine 18 1:20.882 1.110
11 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 17 1:20.910 1.138
12 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 24 1:20.944 1.172
13 Fernando Alonso Alpine 17 1:20.981 1.209
14 Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo 19 1:21.201 1.429
15 Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 22 1:21.449 1.677
16 Lance Stroll Aston Martin 23 1:21.520 1.748
17 Alex Albon Williams 18 1:21.572 1.800
18 Nicholas Latifi Williams 18 1:22.419 2.647
19 Mick Schumacher Haas 4 1:25.467 5.695
20 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 1
