Monte Carlo. – Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team driver and world championship leader, set the fastest time this Saturday in the third and final free practice session of the Monaco Grand Prix, the sixth round of the Formula One World Championship.
On the traditional Monte Carlo street circuit, Antonelli stopped the clock at 1:12.720, beating Monegasque Charles Leclerc of Scuderia Ferrari by 327 thousandths, while Briton Lewis Hamilton finished third.
The practice session was marked by the absence of Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur, who remains under medical observation at a local hospital, according to an official statement from the Italian team.
The Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr., at the wheel of a Williams, finished in twelfth position after being one second and six tenths off the best time of the session.
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For his part, double world champion Fernando Alonso, of Aston Martin, recorded the twenty-first fastest time, more than two and a half seconds behind Antonelli.
With fifteen minutes remaining in the practice session, it was momentarily interrupted by a red flag following an accident involving British driver Oliver Bearman, whose Haas car impacted the area near the Monte Carlo Casino. The incident left the driver with no physical injuries.
Mexican Sergio Pérez finished in 18th position with Cadillac, while Argentine Franco Colapinto took 19th place with Alpine.
The official qualifying for the Monaco Grand Prix will take place this Saturday starting at 14:00 GMT and will define the starting grid for Sunday’s race.
