The standings for the 3^rd Free practice session of the 80th Formula 1 Grand Prix de Monaco at midday on Saturday were a carbon copy of the results for three out of five Grands Prix this year: Max Verstappen 1^st, Checo Pérez 2nd and all the others behind…

We feared it might happen, but it did. In the wake of Friday’s 2^nd Free Practice session, in which Verstappen was back in the lead, the Red Bulls dominated the 3^rd and final session at midday on Saturday. It was a dress rehearsal for the 4:00 pm qualifying session, when Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will be going all out for pole position.

They won’t be the only ones, however, as Lance Stroll and above all Fernando Alonso have an ace up their sleeve: their Aston Martin, if Friday’s good times and the young Canadian’s 3^rd place on Saturday are anything to go by. Ahead of Sainz’s Ferrari (4^th), Lando Norris’s McLaren (5^th) and Pierre Gasly’s Alpine (6^th). As for Leclerc, he only took 7^th place, 7 tenths behind Verstappen, at the wheel of a Ferrari that was tailing hard in the S de la Piscine, which didn’t give him much confidence.

Hamilton at fault

Like most practice sessions since Thursday, this one was also cut short by a red flag. This time, it was seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton who lost control of his Mercedes on the Casino descent towards the Fairmont hairpin. He hit the rail at low speed, but his single-seater was stuck in a dangerous spot. Once again, the ACM stewards intervened, very quickly, but the race directors didn’t wait. Session over.

See you at 4.00 pm for suspenseful qualifying, since 16 drivers were grouped in one second at the end of this last free practice session …

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