RACE DEBRIEF

    Max Verstappen completed a hat-trick of pace-setting practice sessions at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya on Saturday as he led the way during FP3 before rain hit the track and put an end to any further improvements.

    Verstappen’s best time of 1m 13.664s, a couple of tenths quicker than his Friday benchmark, put him a quarter of a second up on Red Bull team mate Sergio Perez, followed by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.

    FP3: Verstappen leads Perez and Hamilton in rain-affected final practice session in Barcelona

    There was drama shortly after Verstappen posted that effort as Logan Sargeant suffered a snap at the final corner, slid through the gravel trap and hit the barriers, giving the Williams mechanics a repair job before qualifying later this afternoon.

    With rain coming shortly after Sargeant’s red flag-triggering crash, the second half of the session saw drivers get some running in on Pirelli’s intermediate tyres amid slippery conditions, before switching back to softs as the track dried up again.

    Watch the highlights from FP3 in Spain in the video player above.