2022 F1 Spanish GP FP3: What did we learn?

The FP3 of the Spanish GP came to an end with Charles Leclerc leading the charge once again for Ferrari. In a session that saw Pierre Gasly sitting out and Mick Schumacher losing precious runs due to reliability issues, there were some key revelations as well as confirmations about what we speculated yesterday.

With FP3 done, the picture has started to become even clearer as all the teams finally unleashed their challengers. Let's take a look at what we learned in the third free practice session of the Spanish GP.

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Spanish GP FP3: What did we learn?

#1 Ferrari holds the edge in qualifying, but race pace is a question mark!

The track for the Spanish GP exposes whatever is good or bad about your car and for Ferrari, the good part is its superiority in the second sector. The car pulls 4-tenths per lap from Red Bull in that very sector, thereby helping Charles Leclerc fend off Max Verstappen.

Having said that, it's becoming painfully obvious that tire life will be a key concern. Compared to Red Bull and Mercedes, Ferrari is eating through its tires. Leclerc should be the favorite for pole position, but how will he fend off the Red Bull on the straights with such tire degradation? The team will be scratching their heads to find that perfect balance.

#2 Mercedes on pole? Maybe?

In a conversation with Sky Sports ahead of the Spanish GP FP3, Mattia Binotto acknowledged the progress Mercedes had made but was confident that Ferrari's battle would be with Red Bull this weekend.

Looking at how Mercedes looks on track, the German team has turned things around for sure. The car is closer to the frontrunners and Mercedes could find itself challenging the Italian team looking at the latter's tire degradation. In light of their qualifying laps, a pole position could also be possible.

#3 McLaren's upgrades seem impressive (for the midfield)

McLaren kept a low profile for the entire Friday of the Spanish GP weekend. In the dying stages of FP3, however, the team finally allowed its drivers to put on a set of fresh soft tires and unleash their cars. The result? A time from Lando Norris that was just six tenths slower than leader Charles Leclerc.

McLaren's upgrades were some of the most hyped ones this weekend and it looks like the team has made progress. The progress is even more impressive compared to the midfield bunch. Compared to the frontrunners, however, McLaren is not there yet.

#4 Aston Martin keeping a low profile

Sebastian Vettel put together a lap that was good enough for P12, around 1.1 seconds off the fastest time. This was another impressive run by Aston Martin as the team continued to learn about the car with every passing session.

Having said that, the team kept a surprisingly low profile during the Spanish GP FP3. Seeing the car on track, it appears there is still some performance left to be unleashed. Will the team be able to do it during Qualifying? That is the primary question around the team.

#5 Bad luck strikes Mick Schumacher

Just when it appeared that the young German was finally starting to put things together, it all fell apart for the Haas driver. His car's rear brakes caught fire and Mick Schumacher had to retire from the session. Not only that, it does appear that he might even be forced to sit out of qualifying as the repairs could take time.

If that happens, then the German will once again be on the backfoot in the intra-team battle against his experienced teammate.