BAKU // Lewis Hamilton topped the times ahead of his Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg for the third and final session in Saturday’s practice for this weekend’s European Grand Prix.
On a significantly hotter day at the tricky high-power Baku street circuit, the reigning three-time world champion clocked a best lap in one minute and 44.352 seconds.
This put him 0.258 seconds ahead of championship leader Rosberg, whose lead in the title race is under threat after being trimmed from 43 points to nine in the last two races.
In another session punctuated by accidents and incidents, the major crash came right at the end when Sergio Perez of Force India lost control of the rear of his car in the exit of Turn 15.
That was the same corner that caught out Australian Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull on Friday.
Perez is expected to require a gearbox change before qualifying later.
German Nico Hulkenberg in the second Force India was third fastest ahead of Ricciardo, four-time champion Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari and Perez.
Dutch teenager Max Verstappen was seventh fastest in the second Red Bull ahead of the 2009 champion Jenson Button of McLaren, Daniil Kvyat of Toro Rosso and Kimi Raikkonen in the second Ferrari.
Valtteri Bottas did not set a time because his car was damaged by a loose drain-cover in the pit lane.
The Finn had just completed an installation lap when his car struck a cover that had worked loose just after the pit-lane entry.
The incident left his car needing repairs to a side-pod. A traffic cone was placed over the cover.
This followed similar incidents on Friday when a number of cars suffered cut tyres due to loose bolts in kerbs on the track.
Track work goes through the night
Track workers laboured through the night to make changes to the Baku street circuit after problems with kerb plates lifting in practice.
Race director Charlie Whiting told Reuters on Saturday that the white lines marking the pit lane entry and exit had also been repainted to improve safety.
“Just the lines, that’s all, to keep the drivers slightly further left so that there’s no misunderstanding if two cars are following and the front one wants to come in,” he said of the entry. “The idea is that it should be slightly clearer to the driver behind that the car is coming in to the pits.”
Some drivers had expressed concern about the pit lane approach, which enters a chicane after leaving the long main straight and then continues before reaching the point where the speed limiter comes into force.
Whiting said there had been no change in the point at which drivers had to slow.
The kerb plates, which are bolted to concrete inserts into the asphalt, were removed at turns six and 12 and replaced by painted areas that looked like kerbs.
“We decided to do that rather than try and monitor the kerbs,” said Whiting, who said the fixings were the same type that Formula One had used without problem in Mexico and Singapore.
“It’s a little surprising to see that they are coming up here,” he said. “There’s clearly something different. We’ve still got them in a couple of other corners which we don’t anticipate any problems with.”
The pit exit had been made “a little easier because it was a bit tight at the corner”, he added.
Speaking after a briefing for marshals, Whiting said they had been asked to ensure their zones behind the catch fences were clear of litter to help prevent it being blown onto the circuit.
The Baku circuit, which winds around the walls of the medieval town before a 2km straight following the Caspian seafront, has brought in 160 marshals from Bahrain to mentor locals and take up the key positions.
“They are doing a really good job, very pleased with how things are going,” Whiting said.
Ecclestone open to Imola future
Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone says he will accept the Imola circuit in San Marino as a substitute for Monza as host of the Italian Grand Prix if negotiations over a new contract at Monza fail.
The Imola circuit last hosted a F1 grand prix in 2006 but is emerging as a candidate to replace Monza, which has held a grand prix every year except one since F1 began.
Ecclestone, speaking on Saturday at the European Grand Prix in Azerbaijan, said if Italy’s national sporting body “was not happy in Monza, and they want it in Imola, we are happy to support Imola”.
The future of the Brazilian Grand Prix is also in doubt, and Ecclestone said “the chances are it won’t happen” beyond this year.
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