The Red Bull driver, who won last time out in Monaco and set the pace in FP1 on Friday, posted a lap ♉just 0.070s quicker than Leclerc during the final 🤡practice session before qualifying in Baku. 

FP3 was delayed by 15 minutes while barrierꦆ repair works were carried out at Turn 1 following a crash in an earlier F2 race.&nb𓃲sp;

Max Verstappen once again 💧ended up as the second Red Bull driver in third, 0.279s down on his teammate. 

The reigning world champion was set to improve in the closing moments of the session but saw his lap rui🃏ned by traffic after he had gone quickest of all in the firs൩t sector. 

Carlos Sainz was fourth-quickest for Ferrari, ahead of McLaren pair Lando Norris and Dan൩iel Ricciardo, and AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasl💯y. 

George Russell was the fastest Mercedes driver in eighth, while his seven-time world champion teammate Lewis Hamilton could only set a time good enough for 12th, 1.6s off Perez’s benchmark๊ and two tenths slower than Russell. 

Both Mercedes drivers reported struggles with a lack of rear grip throug♔hout the session in what has been a difficult start to the weekend inﷺ Azerbaijan for the reigning world champions. 

“I’m so far off, 🦋man. How far am I off?" Hamilton said over team radio. 

Esteban Ocon and Sebastian Vettel completed the top-10 order for Alpine and Aston Martin respectively as just✨ two-tenths separated 10th to 16th.

Once again there wer💧e no crashes in practice, though Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and Leclerc both took trips down Baku’s escape roads. 

As a result of the delayed start t๊o final practice, qualifying will begin 15 minutes later than scheduled at 3.15pm UK timeꦕ.