Belgian GP: Positive FP3 session for Williams Racing


By Andrew Hooper
August 28 2021

In what was a session with the drivers having to contend with a wet tarck the Williams Racing Team would complete the final Saturday practice with George Russell and Nicholas Latifi fiinishing 9th and 12th in the times. Both drivers would only use the intermediate tyre during the session. The session would see a limited amount of running with the team no doubt concerned over keeping their best tyres for the qualifying session later in the day. As for qaulifying trying to predict how the Williams Racing Team will fare is difficult coming down to the track conditions during the session.

 
 Williams Racing Belgian GP Saturday Practice
 
Latifi
 

Team Summary:
After finishing the Friday practice for the 2021 Belgian GP in 16th and 17th the Williams was looking to improve but they would be presented with a wet track for the sixty minute Saturday practice. With the start the track would be very busy with both Williams cars running. Both Haas cars were on the full wet whereas everyone else was using the intermediate. The first times would come in with Leclerc quickest from Raikkonen and the Williams pair but we would see George quickest with a 2m:01.699 followed by Nicholas. But the times would come down quickly with Hamilton quickest with a 1m:57.996 followed by Norris, Gasly and George.

But as more times are set we would have Verstappen fastest with a 1m:56.924 followed by Perez, Hamilton, Norris, Stroll, Gasly, Vettel, George, Alonso and Bottas tenth. Ocon would improve to be fifth. This would see the Williams cars ninth and 12th. But the rain would start to fall heavier with now just three cars out on the track. But with twenty minutes remaining more cars would return including both Ferrari's and Alpines. Both Mercedes and Aston Martin cars were also running as the rain continued to fall.

Ten minutes remaining in the session and we would have Gasly spin but was able to continue. There were just ten cars still running as the last five minutes of the session commenced. Norris would pit and would take on a set of soft tyres to test the conditions using dry tyres. But such was the wet conditions it would be a very slow lap as he would return to his pit. The session would end with the Williams drivers remaining in ninth and 12th. The top ten was Verstappen, Perez, Hamilton, Norris, Ocon, Stroll, Gasly, Vettel, George, and Alonso tenth. As for the prospects for qualifying it will all come down to how the conditions turn out for the session.

Nicholas Latifi:
Nicholas would join George also running on the intermediates for his first run. A 2m:04.802 would see Nicholas quickest ahead of his team-mate. He would improve with a 2m:02.225 to be second. He would drop down the times but with a 1m:59.981 he would be seventh. As the session continued Nicholas would drop to 12th. He would pit but would return for a further run on the intermediate tyre. But he would pit and would not return as the session ended.

George Russell:
George would take to the track with the start of the session running on intermediates. George would have a lock up running wide at the final chicane but was able to continue. His first lap time was a 2m:05.546 to be currently quickest. He would improve with a 2m:01.699 to again be quickest from Nicholas. But he would drop down to be fifth despite setting a 1m:59.492. This would become eighth as George pitted having completed three laps on the intermediate tyre. He would not return as the session came to an end ending the session in ninth.

 
Russell
 
Cla Driver Chassis Laps Time Gap
1  Max Verstappen Red Bull 10 1'56.924  
2  Sergio Perez Red Bull 7 1'57.871 0.947
3  Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 9 1'57.996 1.072
4  Lando Norris McLaren 11 1'58.509 1.585
5  Esteban Ocon Alpine 15 1'58.913 1.989
6  Lance Stroll Aston Martin 16 1'59.205 2.281
7  Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 14 1'59.324 2.400
8  Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 15 1'59.436 2.512
9  George Russell Williams 9 1'59.492 2.568
10  Fernando Alonso Alpine 16 1'59.613 2.689
11  Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 14 1'59.808 2.884
12  Nicholas Latifi Williams 11 1'59.981 3.057
13  Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 13 2'00.456 3.532
14  Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari 17 2'00.749 3.825
15  Mick Schumacher Haas 18 2'01.269 4.345
16  Charles Leclerc Ferrari 14 2'01.370 4.446
17  Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri 20 2'01.510 4.586
18  Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo 20 2'01.512 4.588
19  Nikita Mazepin Haas 19 2'01.792 4.868
20  Kimi Raikkonen Alfa Romeo 3 2'04.382 7.458
 
Latifi
 

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Belgian GP: Positive FP3 session for Williams Racing
Discussion started by Williams F1 , 28/08/2021 12:27
Williams F1
28/08/2021 12:27
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