Budapest: Championship leader Sebastian Vettel smashed the lap record as he bounced back to his best to top the times for Ferrari in Saturday morning’s third and final free practice for Sunday’s Hungarian Grand Prix.
The four-time champion German clocked a stunning best lap of one minute 17.017 seconds around the tight and challenging Hungaroring circuit as he and Ferrari teammate Kimi Raikkonen reeled off a convincing one-two.
The Finn was nearly half a second off Vettel’s blistering pace, ahead of compatriot Valtteri Botas in the leading Mercedes, Dutchman Max Verstappen of Red Bull and three-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the second Mercedes.
Briton Hamilton, who is one point behind Vettel in the title race and seeking a record-increasing sixth Hungarian win, was unable to find much overnight improvement in his speed and struggled to match Vettel’s pace, winding up more than a second adrift on a circuit where qualifying is so important.
Australian Daniel Ricciardo’s hopes of repeating his dominance from Friday practice, when he topped both times, were wrecked when he pulled up with a hydraulics problem and parked his car at the side of the circuit.
Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne proved that McLaren Honda can be competitive on circuits where less power is required to be decisive by taking sixth place ahead of German Nico Hulkenberg of Renault, Ricciardo, two-time champion Spaniard Fernando Alonso, celebrating his 36th birthday, in the second McLaren and Briton Jolyon Palmer in the second Renault.
Brazilian Felipe Massa who went to hospital on Friday evening after complaining of feeling dizzy and generally unwell took part in third practice but was down in 17th and said he still wasn’t feeling too good.
He had spun twice during second practice on Friday.
He was cleared to take part in Saturday’s practice session by the FIA medical delegate, but he felt unwell again during FP3 and has made the decision to withdraw from the weekend.
“Williams supports Felipe’s decision and the team will work with him to ensure he makes a full recovery, with a view to return to the race track for the Belgian Grand Prix,” said the team.
“Following this decision, the team’s Reserve Driver Paul di Resta will drive alongside Lance Stroll for the remainder of the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.”
Briton Di Resta drove for the Force India team for three seasons from 2011 to 2013 and has taken part in a total of 58 Grands Prix, recording two fourth place finishes as his best results.
