Brazilian GP: Hamilton edges Verstappen in FP3
Lewis Hamilton narrowly defeated Max Verstappen to top final practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix, hinting at a tight Formula 1 qualifying battle between Mercedes and Red Bull.

Hamilton's 1m08.320s shaded Verstappen by just 0.026s ahead of qualifying at Interlagos, with Ferrari slightly adrift of its two rivals.
Verstappen headed the order at the halfway stage of the session after emerging on top of the first set of soft-tyre runs.
His 1m109.063s was the second of two laps that put him quickest after taking to the track later than his rivals.
Hamilton was 0.391s behind as Mercedes opted for a third flying lap for each of its drivers on the same set of tyres.
The Ferraris were shuffled back to more than half a second slower than Verstappen at this stage, but moved to the top by kicking off the second round of qualifying simulations.
Leclerc outpaced Vettel by half a tenth, while Vettel failed to improve by 0.005s after two cool-down laps and a second flier.
However, Hamilton swiftly knocked Leclerc off top spot with a 1m08.320s that beat the Ferrari by almost three tenths of a second.
Valtteri Bottas failed to make similar ground in the other Mercedes, posting a personal best but lapping almost a second slower than Hamilton after running wide exiting the left-hander at the end of the first sector.
Verstappen's final qualifying simulations started strongly with the best first sector of anyone, but he lost time to Hamilton in the middle part of the lap and wound up 0.026s adrift.
Another fastest first sector followed, but the lap fell away again and he just failed to improve.
Alex Albon, who was well behind Verstappen after their first efforts, improved twice on his second set to jump Bottas into fifth, although still wound up 0.8s off the pace.
Behind the big three teams, Daniil Kvyat recovered from his Friday off to set the fastest time among the midfielders.
The Toro Rosso driver was just two tenths slower than Albon, and half a tenth clear of Antonio Giovinazzi's Alfa Romeo.
McLaren duo Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz completed the top 10.
At the foot of the times, Robert Kubica finally completed his first timed laps of the weekend.
Kubica had missed FP1 so reserve driver Nicholas Latifi could take part, then crashed heavily at the start of FP2.
The damage required Williams to switch Kubica to a new chassis, which he used to complete 23 laps – more than any other driver – on his way to the slowest time, three tenths behind teammate George Russell.
Cla | Driver | Chassis | Laps | Time | Gap | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | | ![]() | Mercedes | 17 | 1'08.320 | |
2 | | ![]() | Red Bull | 18 | 1'08.346 | 0.026 |
3 | | ![]() | Ferrari | 20 | 1'08.611 | 0.291 |
4 | | ![]() | Ferrari | 22 | 1'08.664 | 0.344 |
5 | | ![]() | Red Bull | 17 | 1'09.136 | 0.816 |
6 | | ![]() | Mercedes | 20 | 1'09.201 | 0.881 |
7 | | ![]() | Toro Rosso | 22 | 1'09.415 | 1.095 |
8 | | ![]() | Alfa Romeo | 20 | 1'09.462 | 1.142 |
9 | | ![]() | McLaren | 18 | 1'09.585 | 1.265 |
10 | | ![]() | McLaren | 21 | 1'09.588 | 1.268 |
11 | | ![]() | Alfa Romeo | 21 | 1'09.619 | 1.299 |
12 | | ![]() | Toro Rosso | 19 | 1'09.625 | 1.305 |
13 | | ![]() | Renault | 17 | 1'09.650 | 1.330 |
14 | | ![]() | Haas | 18 | 1'09.713 | 1.393 |
15 | | ![]() | Renault | 17 | 1'09.761 | 1.441 |
16 | | ![]() | Haas | 20 | 1'09.798 | 1.478 |
17 | | ![]() | Racing Point | 19 | 1'09.995 | 1.675 |
18 | | ![]() | Racing Point | 16 | 1'10.312 | 1.992 |
19 | | ![]() | Williams | 19 | 1'10.843 | 2.523 |
20 | | ![]() | Williams | 23 | 1'11.205 | 2.885 |
View full results |

Previous article
Brazilian GP qualifying as it happened
Next article
Gasly driving "exceptionally well" at Toro Rosso - Horner

About this article
Series | Formula 1 |
Event | Brazilian GP |
Sub-event | FP3 |
Author | Scott Mitchell |
Brazilian GP: Hamilton edges Verstappen in FP3
The defining traits that set F1’s best apart
What makes the very best drivers in Formula 1 stand out among what is already a highly elite bunch? Andrew Benson takes a closer look at those with the special blend of skill, judgment, feel and attitude that sets only a select few apart from the rest.
The updates Williams hopes will lead to a point-scoring return
After producing a car which demonstrated progress but lacked the points to prove it last year, Williams starts its new era of team ownership with the FW43B, its bid to continue the climb up the Formula 1 grid in 2021
How Ferrari plans to recover from its 2020 F1 nightmare
The 2020 Formula 1 season was Ferrari's worst for 40 years as it slumped to sixth in the standings. A repeat performance will not be acceptable for the proud Italian team, which has adopted a notably pragmatic approach to forging its path back to the top
Why Aston Martin’s arrival is more than just new green livery
In the most eagerly anticipated Formula 1 team launch of the season, the rebranded Aston Martin squad’s changes go much further than the striking paint job. But rather than a restart, the team hopes to build on top of solid foundations.
The car Aston Martin begins its new F1 journey with
The team formerly known as Racing Point gambled successfully on a Mercedes look-alike in 2020 as it mounted a strong challenge for third in the constructors' race and won the Sakhir GP. Now clothed in British racing green, Aston Martin's first Formula 1 challenger since 1960 provides the clearest indicator yet of what to expect from the new-for-2021 regulations
The tricky driver conundrums facing Mercedes in F1 2021
Ahead of the new Formula 1 season, reigning world champions Mercedes will take on challenges both old and new. This also can be said for its driver conundrum which could become key to sustaining its ongoing success...
How Alpine's cure to 2021 F1 rules starts at the front
A new name, new faces and new colours pulls the rebranded Alpine Formula 1 team into a new era while carrying over core elements of its 2020 car. But under the surface there's more than meets the eye with the A521 which hints at how the team will tackle 2021...
Can Mercedes' W12 retain the team's crown?
Replacing Formula 1's fastest car was never going to be an easy feat for Mercedes. Amid the technical rule tweaks to peg back the W12 and its 2021 rivals, the new Mercedes challenger will remain the target to beat