> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.the-race.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Imola FP3: Everything you need to know - URL: https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/imola-fp3-everything-you-need-to-know/ - Published: 2021-04-17T11:08:55.000Z - Updated: 2023-09-16T16:53:55.000Z - Description: Max Verstappen got one back over the Mercedes duo by topping the third F1 practice session of the Imola weekend - Author: Scott Mitchell-Malm - Tags: Formula 1, #image-center-center Max Verstappen ended Mercedes’ domination of the Imola practice sessions as Red Bull finally showed its hand ahead of Formula 1 qualifying. --- **Key moments:** \> Verstappen leads Norris, Hamilton top Mercedes in third \> Red Bull driver one of many to lose times for going wide at Turn 9 \> Track limits altered for two corners after Friday \> Friday star Latifi causes red flag with brief off --- After a Friday disrupted by a suspected driveshaft failure, Verstappen spent most of the final practice session without a time to his name. He was one of several drivers who had laptimes deleted through the session for going too wide at the fast Piratella left-hander in the middle sector. But Verstappen eventually threaded together a legal, quick lap to become the first driver to dip below 1m15s this weekend, topping the times on a 1m14.958s. Lando Norris was his nearest challenge, almost half a second back in his McLaren, with world champion Lewis Hamilton a further tenth behind for Mercedes. Red Bull’s unleashed pace positions Verstappen as the favourite for qualifying but the muted sessions for Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas (eighth fastest) suggest Mercedes has a bit more speed in reserve. Between the two black cars, Sergio Perez made a decent improvement late on to go fifth, followed by early pace-setter Charles Leclerc, Pierre Gasly and Carlos Sainz Jr. It was a messy session in which track limits jumbled the order throughout. Turn 9, Piratella, was the hotspot but in a further development on track limits, cutting the apex of the final part of Acque Minerale will not result in lap times deleted in qualifying or a warning in the race. It’s also been clarified that drivers can use the yellow kerbs at the Variante Alta but may not leave the track to cut the corner – and Verstappen used this to good effect by monstering the kerbs on his pace-setting lap. In total, 14 drivers had laps deleted in FP3\. Only Kimi Raikkonen was unable to go quicker on a legal lap than on his deleted, but that didn’t impact his final position. The session was also briefly red-flagged shortly before the halfway stage after an off for Nicholas Latifi. > 🚩 RED FLAG 🚩 > > Latifi slides into the barriers coming out of Turn 5 💥 > > The Williams driver gets going again and limps back to the pits [#ImolaGP](https://twitter.com/hashtag/ImolaGP?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) 🇮🇹 [#F1](https://twitter.com/hashtag/F1?src=hash&ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) [pic.twitter.com/6ho5y6N4VJ](https://t.co/6ho5y6N4VJ?ref=the-race.com) > > — Formula 1 (@F1) [April 17, 2021](https://twitter.com/F1/status/1383352223376109569?ref%5Fsrc=twsrc%5Etfw&ref=the-race.com) Latifi lost the rear slightly through the Villeneuve S and went wide, skating over the gravel and lightly into the barrier. The Williams looked stuck but Latifi was able to reverse out and return to the pits with a broken front wing. Other drivers to have big off-track moments were the Alfa Romeo pairing, with Kimi Raikkonen having a lairy trip through the gravel at Rivazza and a baffled Antonio Giovinazzi spinning on cold tyres exiting Tamburello. ## Practice 3 Results | Pos | Name | Car | Best Time | Gap Leader | | --- | ------------------ | --------------------- | --------- | ---------- | | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Honda | 1m14.958s | | | 2 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | 1m15.414s | +0.456s | | 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1m15.515s | +0.557s | | 4 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull-Honda | 1m15.551s | +0.593s | | 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1m15.738s | +0.78s | | 6 | Pierre Gasly | AlphaTauri-Honda | 1m15.89s | +0.932s | | 7 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1m15.908s | +0.95s | | 8 | Valtteri Bottas | Mercedes | 1m15.908s | +0.95s | | 9 | Fernando Alonso | Alpine-Renault | 1m16.186s | +1.228s | | 10 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine-Renault | 1m16.228s | +1.27s | | 11 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri-Honda | 1m16.23s | +1.272s | | 12 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1m16.245s | +1.287s | | 13 | Daniel Ricciardo | McLaren-Mercedes | 1m16.253s | +1.295s | | 14 | Sebastian Vettel | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1m16.389s | +1.431s | | 15 | George Russell | Williams-Mercedes | 1m16.427s | +1.469s | | 16 | Mick Schumacher | Haas-Ferrari | 1m16.448s | +1.49s | | 17 | Nicholas Latifi | Williams-Mercedes | 1m16.537s | +1.579s | | 18 | Antonio Giovinazzi | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 1m16.612s | +1.654s | | 19 | Kimi Räikkönen | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 1m16.803s | +1.845s | | 20 | Nikita Mazepin | Haas-Ferrari | 1m17.398s | +2.44s |