Gasly tops final practice session disrupted by Sargeant’s fiery crash · RaceFans

Pierre Gasly set the fastest time in a final minute rush at the end of a disrupted final practice session for the Dutch Grand Prix.

The majority of practice was suspended following a huge crash for Logan Sargeant early in the session.

While practice resumed with two minutes remaining, the majority of drivers were unable to post clean flying laps when the circuit was at its best at the end of running.

Following a rain-affected opening practice session on Friday, the Zandvoort circuit was wet once more for the start of the final hour of running ahead of qualifying.

Although the rain was stopping as the session began, those who did head out on track at first did so on full wet tyres. Oscar Piastri then fitted intermediate tyres and posted the first timed lap of the day with a 1’24.176.

Nico Hulkenberg had endured a difficult Friday with multiple off-track excursions and a crash at Tarzan in second practice. But his Saturday did not start any better when he locked up at Ernst and damaged his front wing. Luckily for Haas, Hulkenberg had his team’s old-specification front wing on his car rather than the new upgraded wing and he managed to recover back to the pit lane. However, he will be investigated after practice for driving in an unsafe condition.

Just under 14 minutes into the session, the session was stopped by a red flag following a heavy crash for Logan Sargeant, who lost control of his Williams on the wet grass exiting Hugenholtz and spun into the barrier. The car was destroyed and was briefly on fire, but Sargeant climbed out of his car under his own power and was later cleared by the circuit medical crew after a check up.

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Barrier damage led to the session being suspended for around 40 minutes before the pit exit opened for the final two minutes of the session. With many drivers not having set a time in the early phase of the session, there was a rush of cars out onto the track with many, including Sergio Perez, unable to reach the timing line in time to begin a flying lap.

With little traffic in front of him compared to many of his rivals, Pierre Gasly set the fastest time with his single flying lap, just ahead of Kevin Magnussen with Valtteri Bottas setting the third fastest time.

Lando Norris was fourth ahead of Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon, with Piastri, Lance Stroll, Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz Jnr completing the top ten. However, the disrupted nature of the session and the rush in the final minutes makes the times sheet ultimately unrepresentative.

Max Verstappen was shown the back-and-white flag after crossing the white pit exit line on his way out of the pits at the end of the session in an attempt to pass George Russell’s Mercedes. The Red Bull driver had already passed Piastri’s McLaren, legally, at the pit exit moments before.

2024 Dutch Grand Prix third practice result

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2024 Dutch Grand Prix combined practice times

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2024 Dutch Grand Prix

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