2022 F1 Azerbaijan GP FP3: What did we learn?

FP3, the precursor to the Azerbaijan GP Qualifying, is now out of the way. It saw Sergio Perez laying down the gauntlet with the fastest lap of the session. The Mexican driver was less than a tenth faster than Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and an impressive three-tenths quicker than his teammate Max Verstappen in FP3. Carlos Sainz was fourth, with the McLaren duo rounding out the top six positions, with Lando Norris only being fractionally quicker than his teammate Daniel Ricciardo.

So, in case you missed FP3. Here's what we learned today!

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What did we learn at Azerbaijan GP FP3?

#1 Ferrari's low downforce setup seems to be working

Ferrari appears to have found something with its new low downforce setup. On a weekend where there was expected to be a fight between Red Bull's straight-line speed advantage in S1 and S3 and Ferrari's impressive aerodynamic efficiency in S2, the two cars seemed to have converged on performance as Ferrari seemed to have the edge in S3.

Having said that, the fight for the pole position is extremely close between Sergio Perez, Charles Leclerc, and Max Verstappen. The reigning champion is finding it hard to hook up a perfect lap and is probably hoping that the trend does not follow him into the Azerbaijan GP qualifying session.

#2 Mercedes, especially Lewis Hamilton, is struggling

Mercedes' car is not liking the bumps around the streets of Baku one bit. It seems to be struggling in the hands of both the drivers. However, it appears as though George Russell is still able to cope with it better than Lewis Hamilton.

While the young Brit finished the session in eighth place, the seven-time world champion was 12th. As heard on the onboards, Hamilton appears to have struggled more than Russell. Will he be able to overcome his struggles and turn a new page this weekend?

#3 McLaren is down on top speed but looks fast over a lap

318 kmph and 340 kmph. This was the top speed for McLaren and Alpine, respectively, in the Azerbaijan GP FP3. McLaren is significantly slower in a straight line and this could be a massive detriment in the race, especially during a safety car restart.

Having said that, a P5 and P6 finish for the two drivers shows that the car has speed. If Norris and Ricciardo can manage to just pull away in the second sector, they might just be able to hold onto their positions in the race.

#4 Alpine falls down the order as others turn up the engines

As we said yesterday: always take Fernando Alonso's times in the Azerbaijan GP FP1 and FP2 with a grain of salt. The reason being, the team tends to run higher engine modes as compared to other teams due to which the times tend to be deceptively quick in the free practice sessions.

Alpine is not as far ahead as it might have appeared yesterday. Alpine, with its radical wing, will be worth keeping an eye on in the Azerbaijan GP.

#5 Mick Schumacher is struggling in the Azerbaijan GP

Mick Schumacher seems low on confidence at the Azerbaijan GP. The driver is not comfortable this weekend; even commentators have called out how far away he seems to be driving from the barriers.

Haas team principal Guenther Steiner's warning to the driver seems to have had an effect on Mick Schumacher. We will have to wait and see in the Azerbaijan GP qualifying whether the six-tenths gap Kevin Magnussen has to the German is genuine. It will be interesting to see whether he can turn his season around.

Catch the drivers and team at the qualifying session on June 11, 2022.