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F1 Singapore GP: Rosberg forges ahead, Hamilton left on back foot

Nico Rosberg has topped the third and final free practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix by just 0.059s over Max Verstappen, while Lewis Hamilton's troublesome weekend continued with two offs that leave him playing catch up coming into qualifying.

Confirming the pace shown by Mercedes in FP2, Rosberg was once again quickest on the ultra-soft tyres as he stopped the clock at 1min 44.352secs, though Red Bull's Verstappen would get close to unseating him at the top off the timesheets just 0.059secs adrift.

Setting up a potentially exciting qualifying session later this evening, Rosberg's eye-catching pace came as his title rival and Mercedes team-mate Hamilton continued to struggle for consistent form around the Marina Bay Circuit. Losing track time with technical issues yesterday, Hamilton suffered two out-braking moments in FP3 at Turn 7 - including one on his ultra-soft tyre run - to leave him eighth quickest, 1.4secs adrift.

Having also failed to set a representative time in FP2 on the ultra-softs due to traffic and an off at T1, he heads into qualifying very much on the back foot.

Kimi Raikkonen made it three teams inside the top three as he continued to lead Ferrari's charge in third, albeit half a second off the top spot, ahead of Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel, the pair losing time with scruffy laps around the tricky Singapore street circuit.

Nico Hulkenberg headed up the 'best of the rest' within a second of the top spot for Force India, ahead of Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat and Carlos Sainz sandwiching Hamilton in seventh and ninth. Valtteri Bottas completed the top ten for Williams.

Meanwhile, McLaren's unexpectedly indifferent weekend continued with Fernando Alonso in 11th and Jenson Button down in 16th, while Pascal Wehrlein was the latest to kiss the barriers when he spun rearward at Turn 11 and damaged the rear-end of his Manor.

The session was subsequently stopped to clear errant debris on the track... and to also shoo a large lizard-like creature that wandered onto track almost into the path of a bemused Max Verstappen. Fortunately, the lizard made it across the track with no consequence. 

Zdroj: crash.net