In the third and final practice session ahead of the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, George Russell set the pace for Mercedes, outpacing McLaren's Lando Norris.
Russell's performance provided a glimmer of hope for Mercedes in their battle for second place in the constructors' championship, with Ferrari trailing by just four points and struggling to match the pace.
Despite the unrepresentative conditions, with high temperatures at the Yas Marina Circuit, three-time world champion Max Verstappen found himself off the pace, finishing in sixth place. The session offered limited insights into the qualifying and race outcomes scheduled for later on Saturday and Sunday.
Russell claimed the top spot with a time of 1 minute and 24.418 seconds, edging out Norris by 0.095 seconds, while Oscar Piastri secured the third spot in the second McLaren. The top ten drivers, including Esteban Ocon, Logan Sargeant, and Yuki Tsunoda, were separated by only eight-tenths of a second.
Notably, Lewis Hamilton, aiming to secure Mercedes' second-place position in the constructors' championship, finished in 12th place, just behind Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull. Two-time champion Fernando Alonso claimed the 14th spot for Aston Martin.
Verstappen expressed dissatisfaction with his car's setup throughout the session, citing issues with the car bottoming and jumping. This session followed the controversy on Friday surrounding Verstappen's attempted passing move on the Mercedes drivers in the pit-lane exit tunnel, which prompted race stewards to ban the practice.
The session began with hotter conditions compared to the previous day, and Russell, who participated in FP1, continued to showcase his strong form. Russell's performance, along with Hamilton's, aims not only to secure the team's second-place finish but also to achieve Mercedes' first win and the first by a British driver this season. As the contenders returned for the final half-hour practice, Verstappen improved to second place, still half a second behind Russell, while Ferrari focused on long-run work, running in 16th and 17th positions.
