Lewis Hamilton Tops FP3 But Grid Penalty Trouble Awaits Him in Abu Dhabi After Another Mazepin Blocking Incident

The last practice of the 2021 season and it had set the tone for what we can expect later in the day. The teams had one more crucial round around the Yas Marina before the all-important qualifying session of the Abu Dhabi GP. Although the track conditions will differ from what we can expect in qualifying, the fastest man in this session was Hamilton in his W12.

The final hour of data collection would give the teams a warmer environment; thus strategies would be made with a pinch of salt. However, strategies were already well into play. A majority of the teams started their session on the hard compounds, likely to save the soft and mediums for the qualifying session later on.

And thus, Hamilton led the grid as the fastest man in the session. His rival placed next on the timesheet. Bottas led Perez, who finished fourth, and it was the McLaren of Norris rounding up the top 5.

Read more: “I Will Do Anything to Win” – Max Verstappen Drops a Big Bomb Before F1 Showdown Against Hamilton in Abu Dhabi

Could Hamilton get a grid penalty?

Hamilton impeded Nikita Mazepin’s flying lap around the Yas Marina. A similar incident to what happened in Jeddah, Hamilton has done it again.

However, it could prove costly to the championship contender as he could get a 10-place grid penalty since it would be his third reprimand. Will Hamilton’s error play into Verstappen’s hands? Only the stewards hold the answer to that.

Red Bull holds back as Mercedes hits the throttle at Abu Dhabi GP

FP2 ended with Mercedes as the better machine on the track; the odds continued to favor the Brackley outfit.

After quickly making some adjustments to Hamilton’s brakes, their Knight in shining armor was back on track and he was ready to dominate. Hamilton predominantly led Verstappen, who remained behind his rival throughout the session. Halfway into the session, it was Bottas who stood atop the rest; only standing as a testament to the improving speed in the W12.

What has to be commended is Hamilton’s sector timings. The Brit had remained consistent in keeping the first two sectors purple and if Red Bull has anything to worry about, it’s this.

Red Bull seemed better than they were yesterday, having made some adjustments to the RB16B. Although it seemed like the team was holding back. Both the cars ran on mediums for a majority of the session, but it wasn’t the likes of what we’d seen in Mexico or even Jeddah.

Further, a quick break in the session saw hubbub in the Red Bull garage. Once again, it was for repairs on Verstappen’s rear wing; one that was eventually replaced with a new one.

With fifteen minutes left, Mercedes tried being clever with tire strategies, which didn’t work well for the team as the rears started heating up. Parallelly, Verstappen came out on soft tires. It should have been a good round for the Dutchman, but Turn 6 didn’t favor him.

“It just doesn’t f*cking turn in Turn 6, it’s unbelievable.” Not the best day for Verstappen so far. Will it continue into qualifying?

Scattered mid-field battle in FP3

McLaren and Ferrari continued to tussle for pace this session- one that ended with the Papaya team being faster. Leclerc and Sainz finished P10 and P8, behind their rivals; Ricciardo finished P9 with Lando ahead of him in P5.

While the focus remains on the P3 battle between Ferrari and McLaren, AlphaTauri was once again back in the show. With Tsunoda in sixth and Gasly in seventh, qualifying should be interesting for the team.

Now, with the practice sessions done and dusted, we head to what is sure to be a nail-biting qualifying session that will set the grid for the Abu Dhabi GP. Who will take pole in one of the most crucial races of their careers? Will it be the charging Red Bull of Mac Verstappen or the record-breaking Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton?

Watch this story: F1 Drivers Fighting on Track