The third practice session was calm before the storm that is expected in qualifying, in a very complicated Miami circuit that continues to be a challenge for the drivers. The Red Bulls took a step forward, and were on course for a double before Max Verstappen spun on his final attempt, leaving the way clear for Sergio Pérez to be fastest.
Charles Leclerc did not fail on his last lap, but his time was not enough to beat the Mexican, settling for second position. Fernando Alonso showed hopeful speed with the Alpine to finish fourth, behind the two Red Bull and Leclerc, while Sainz, trying to recover his feelings after the previous day’s accident, was seventh.
Between the two Spaniards was Sebastian Vettel, fifth at the last minute, and Mick Schumacher, sixth with the Haas. They closed the top 10 Kevin Magnussen, Alexander Albon and Lando Norris. After their promising Friday, Mercedes came back down to earth, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton suffering on their fastest lap attempts.
The seven-time champion was 15th, while FP2 leader Russell was 17th, reporting his tires were nowhere to be found.
The classification, in just two hours.
FP3 results, third free practice of the Miami GP 2022 F1
| Cla | Pilot | laps | Weather | Difference | Interval | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Sergio Perez |
 |
twenty-one | 1’30,304 | ||
| 2 |  Charles Leclerc |
 |
23 | 1’30.498 | 0.194 | 0.194 |
| 3 |  Max Verstappen |
 |
20 | 1’30.649 | 0.345 | 0.151 |
| 4 |  Fernando Alonso |
 |
18 | 1’31.036 | 0.732 | 0.387 |
| 5 |  Sebastian Vettel |
 |
24 | 1’31.049 | 0.745 | 0.013 |
| 6 | Mick Schumacher |
 |
19 | 1’31.050 | 0.746 | 0.001 |
| 7 | Carlos Sainz Jr. |
 |
24 | 1’31,172 | 0.868 | 0.122 |
| 8 |  Kevin Magnussen |
 |
20 | 1’31.227 | 0.923 | 0.055 |
| 9 |  Alexander Albon |
 |
14 | 1’31.501 | 1.197 | 0.274 |
| 10 |  Lando Norris |
 |
18 | 1’31.594 | 1.290 | 0.093 |
| 11 11 |  Yuki Tsunoda |
 |
twenty four | 1’31.659 | 1.355 | 0.065 |
| 12 |  Lance Stroll |
 |
22 | 1’31.665 | 1.361 | 0.006 |
| 13 |  Daniel Ricciardo |
 |
19 | 1’31.728 | 1.424 | 0.063 |
| 14 |  Valtteri Bottas |
 |
26 | 1’31.885 | 1.581 | 0.157 |
| 15 | Lewis Hamilton |
 |
20 | 1’31.890 | 1.586 | 0.005 |
| 16 |  Pierre Gasly |
 |
18 | 1’31.901 | 1,597 | 0.011 |
| 17 | George Russell |
 |
19 | 1’31.924 | 1.620 | 0.023 |
| 18 |  Guanyu Zhou |
 |
16 | 1’32.051 | 1.747 | 0.127 |
| 19 | Nicholas Latifi |
 |
16 | 1’32.376 | 2.072 | 0.325 |
| 20 | Esteban Ocon |
 |
3 | |||
| see results | ||||||
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Photo de: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Foto de: Glenn Dunbar / Motorsport Images
Photo by: Carl Bingham/Motorsport Images
Photo by: Carl Bingham / Motorsport Images
This was the FP3, third free practice of the Miami GP 2022 of F1
The two sessions on Friday seemed insufficient when, as soon as FP3 started on Saturday, eight cars took to the track. The first of them, and wanting to make up for lost time after only 15 laps between FP1 and FP2, the champion Max Verstappen.
With mediums, Verstappen took the lead against Pérez’s hard ones, and Sainz, with softs, came close on his second attempt. The track got better and the times dropped, but the #33 stayed ahead thanks to a 1m31.355s.
Magnussen spun at tricky Turn 7, but managed to carry on unharmed. Hamilton was placed third, but he was overtaken first by Sainz and then by Russell who showed that he was still at a good level. With softs, Mick Schumacher surprised by rising to third place, although 0.940 from first.
The first quarter of an hour had just passed when the first accident of the day arrived, caused by Esteban Ocon’s Alpine after going off at turn 14, the same one in which Carlos Sainz crashed the day before.
The Frenchman’s car was badly damaged and a red flag period was established that stopped the activity. At that time, seven drivers had not yet set a time, including a Fernando Alonso who saw his first attempt on softs ruined.
With 33 minutes to go, 12 after Ocon hit, the green flag returned, and many took the opportunity to get back on track. Carlos Sainz improved his time to third, and Alonso’s first timed lap left him eighth.
Valtteri Bottas set the first sector record, his time leaving him behind Verstappen and Leclerc, ahead of Sainz. The Dutchman had a tricky lap when he first went wide into a corner and was then met by a slow Vettel who blocked him.
In the last 20 minutes we finally saw the first real attacks on the stopwatch. On soft, Charles Leclerc dropped to 1:30.981 to take first place, although still far from Friday’s times.
Russell moved up to fourth place to move just 3 thousandths ahead of Hamilton. Leclerc, on the same set of tires as on his first attempt, appeared to be on course for a grand lap with the first sector record but did not improve in the second or third. Hamilton did, to get fourth and leave between him and his partner Gasly, fifth.
The Red Bulls with softs were yet to come out, and in the absence of 12 both Verstappen and Pérez finally appeared with the red Pirelli. The Dutchman set a record in the first sector and the Mexican in the second, without a warm-up lap, attacking the first. Pérez took the lead with a 1:30.699 that left Leclerc 0.282 behind, but Verstappen stole the lead with a time 0.050s faster.
Alonso did a great lap to get the ‘first of the rest’, fourth ahead of Ricciardo. Vettel and the Australian improved the record of the Asturian to drop him to sixth place, while Checo Pérez, beating the record for the first and third sectors, took first place with three minutes to go. Verstappen was three tenths behind, but he still had to reply. However, attempting to retake the lead on a five-lap tyre, he spun at the tricky Turn 15 chicane, narrowly missing the wall.
Alonso improved again to fourth, and Leclerc tried to surprise the Red Bulls, but he could only do so with Verstappen. The duel in classification, even so, seems exciting.
