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FP3: Mercedes complete clean sweep of practice 1-2s as Norris takes P3 for McLaren

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Lewis Hamilton topped the time sheets in FP3 ahead of qualifying for the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone, one place in front of his Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas, as Lando Norris put his McLaren in P3 – 0.581s off Hamilton.

The hour-long session began with Ferrari and McLaren sharing the track as it took 25 minutes for Mercedes to emerge. With 15 minutes remaining, the Silver Arrows began their qualifying runs on soft tyres and eventually it was Hamilton who beat Bottas with a fastest lap of 1m26.621s, 0.163s faster than the best the Finn could manage.

READ MORE: Racing Point confirm intention to appeal brake duct protest verdict

Norris, who began the session on softs but moved to mediums with 30 minutes remaining, managed to make it to P3 on those compounds (the only driver to set his fastest lap on mediums) – which bodes well for him for qualifying at 1400 local time. His team mate Carlos Sainz ended the session on medium tyres and finished P10, 1.006s off top spot.

The Racing Point pair – their RP20s still the focal point off-track after the FIA confirmed five teams intend to appeal the stewards' verdict on their cars – had Sergio Perez stand-in Nico Hulkenberg in P4, marginally faster than fifth-place team mate Lance Stroll.

United Kingdom 2020

Practice 3 results

PositionTeam NameTime
1HAM1:26.621
2BOT+0.163s
3NOR+0.581s
4HUL+0.635s
5STR+0.642s
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Sixth-place Charles Leclerc and Ferrari team mate Sebastian Vettel, who ended the session in P13, took brand new engines, turbos and MGU-H units ahead of FP3 – with Vettel’s Ferrari power unit having spluttered to a halt at the end of FP2 on Friday. According to Ferrari, the change on Leclerc's car was done “as a precaution”, with no penalty incurred for either driver since they are still within their allocation for the season.

Max Verstappen had to abort his first flying lap on new soft tyres with ten minutes remaining having encountered a slow-going Stroll through Maggotts/Becketts, which led to an expletive-filled rant over the radio. The Red Bull driver later improved to finish P7, ahead of team mate Alex Albon in P8.

Friday Pace Analysis: Will warm weather and soft tyres thwart Mercedes?

Renault's Esteban Ocon managed a ninth-place finish over midfield rival Sainz, while Daniel Ricciardo – who was an impressive third quickest in FP2 on Friday – finished 14th overall as his final flying laps were hampered by traffic.

Pierre Gasly beat his AlphaTauri team mate by a tenth of a second to finish P11, with Daniil Kvyat P12 ahead of Vettel's Ferrari. Vettel was one of just four drivers to use mediums in the session, the others being team mate Leclerc and the McLaren duo.

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FP3 Highlights: 70th Anniversary Grand Prix

The Alfa Romeo pair, led by P18 Antonio Giovinazzi over Kimi Raikkonen, finished behind the Williams duo, with Nicholas Latifi in front of George Russell as they occupied P16 and P17.

Rounding out the standings was Kevin Magnussen, 2.142s off the pace as his Haas team mate Romain Grosjean was seven-tenths faster in P15.

Remember to change your F1 Fantasy team before the deadline hits at the start of qualifying for the 70th Anniversary GP at 1400 local time.

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70th Anniversary GP FP3: Stroll blocks Verstappen through Maggotts & Becketts

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