Abu Dhabi GP: Sergio Perez fastest in Triple Practice as Lewis Hamilton under investigation after red flag incident

Sergio Perez overcame Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen to take the top spot in the final practice session at the Yas Marina Circuit; Lewis Hamilton is under investigation for not running slow under a red flag; watch Abu Dhabi GP Qualifiers then live on Saturday at 2pm, with time accruing from 1:15pm

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Lewis Hamilton will be investigated after FP3 session for allegedly not running slow under red flags

Sergio Perez edged out Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen for top spot in the final at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, as Lewis Hamilton faces manager investigation for failing to run slow under red flags .

It’s a bit of a surprise that the builders’ champion Red Bull is still one step ahead of their rivals at the Yas Marina Circuit, but Perez’s pace ahead of world champion Verstappen by 0.152 seconds by 1:24,982 is certain. Definitely a surprise.

Mercedes had hoped overnight setup changes would help them close the gap to Red Bull after Verstappen topped Friday’s second training session, but Hamilton was two-tenths behind Perez, with teammate George Russell back further in fourth place.

Hamilton faces a suspenseful wait – and potentially meetings with managers – after practice, after being investigated for not slowing down following a failure on Pierre Gasly’s AlphaTauri activated red flag.

Replays suggest Hamilton may not have been aware of the red flag as he passed McLaren’s Lando Norris, but the seven-time world champion could now face a penalty, this will damage his fading hopes of claiming his first win of the campaign in the season finale.

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Sergio Perez finds speed in FP3 and beats teammate Max Vertsappen 0.152 seconds at Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Meanwhile, Norris led McLaren’s strong display to take fifth place ahead of Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, with teammate Daniel Ricciardo trailing them in eighth.

Although the competition gave Perez encouragement as he managed to beat Leclerc for second place in the drivers’ championship, the fact that it was conducted in the sun and sunlight daylight means it is not representative of the night conditions of the Qualifier and the race will take place in .

However, the fact that Red Bull looked equally – if not stronger – in the lights on Friday, is an ominous sign for their rivals.

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Lando Norris and Sebastian Vettel both reported smoke from their wheels during FP3 of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Ferrari, whose captain Mattia Binotto is facing constant speculation about his ability to secure the job, has appeared one step behind both Red Bull and Mercedes, Leclerc has heard complaints about the dynamics. his body during the session.

Why is Hamilton under investigation?

The most dramatic moment of the show came when the ‘wheel plank’ protecting Gasly’s right front tire flew out of the AlphaTauri.

It looks like there was an error that caused the part to come into contact with the tire, causing a puncture and causing the tire to fly out, resulting in a red warning.

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Pierre Gasly causes the first red flag of the FP3 session after the wheel suddenly flew out causing a hole

Hamilton, who initially didn’t seem to mind the red flag, passed Norris and Kevin Magnussen, who slowed.

A replay of Hamilton’s car makes it unclear whether he saw the red flag before passing the two cars.

The 37-year-old was called to see the managers immediately after practice, with possible penalties for offense including a penalty for the net.