The excitement for the 2023 Formula 1 season is heating up, with Max Verstappen leading the way in an unpredictable third practice session in Melbourne. Verstappen continues to show great form, topping the charts ahead of Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon. The Red Bull Racing driver set a blistering time of 1m 17.565s, putting him 0.162s ahead of Alonso.
The eventful hour of running had its fair share of drama, with a piece of bodywork flying off Nyck de Vries’ AlphaTauri, halting the drivers’ preparation briefly. However, with the track clearing up, lap times began to tumble.
What made the session even more exciting were the impressive performances from Alpine, whose drivers Ocon and Pierre Gasly claimed third and fifth places, respectively. The two French drivers sandwiched George Russell’s Mercedes, who finished fourth.
It was not smooth sailing for Red Bull, with Sergio Perez having a messy FP3 session that began with rear suspension work on the RB19, and then struggling with braking into Turn 3.
One driver who is undoubtedly relieved is Carlos Sainz, who escaped heavy damage after going off at Turn 11 on his way back to the pit lane at the end of the session to finish seventh.
As the drivers get their final preparation laps ahead of qualifying later today, the 2023 Australian Grand Prix promises to be an epic showdown. Who will come out on top in the fight for pole position? Only time will tell.
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