[Auto]Bottas dominated the last free practice at Mugello; Pérez was sixth and Sainz twelfth

[SougarLord]

Bottas, who had already been the fastest on Friday, covered, in the best of his 12 laps, the 5,245 meters of the track - located 35 kilometers north of Florence - in one minute, 16 seconds and 530 thousandths, 17 less than the Dutch Max Verstappen (Red Bull) and with 83 of advantage over his English teammate Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), leader of the World Cup.

 

In a session in which there was less than a tenth of difference between the top three and in which everyone posted their best lap on a soft tire.

 

Canadian Lance Stroll (Racing Point), third last Sunday at Monza, set the fourth time, half a second behind the Finn; in a session that ended with 28 degrees centigrade on the track and 43 on the asphalt; and in which the only incident to review was the 'walk' that the French Pierre Gasly (Alpha Tauri) took.

 

Gasly, who by winning the Italian Grand Prix celebrated his first F1 triumph, set the fifth time of the last free practice, seven tenths behind Bottas; and he registered just ahead of Mexican Sergio Pérez in the timesheets. 'Checo', who announced on Wednesday that he will not continue at Racing Point next year, repeated the Mugello track fourteen times and in his best lap he stopped the clock at 1: 17.341, eight tenths behind Mercedes' Finn. Sainz, who at Monza achieved his best result since racing in F1 by finishing second, spun 19 times and his best time, the twelfth of the session, was 1: 17.768.

 

One second and two tenths behind Bottas; from which he was nine tenths - in seventh position - in Monegasque Charles Leclerc, from Ferrari; the most awarded team in history: celebrating its 1,000th Grand Prix at Mugello.

 

Much worse was his German teammate Sebastian Vettel, who will replace 'Checo' next year, when the team is called Aston Martin. Vettel - a four-time world champion (2010-13, with Red Bull) - set the eighteenth time and was second to last, one second and six tenths behind Bottas. The qualifying session, which will order the starting grid for this Sunday's race, will take place at 3:00 pm (15:00 GMT). -

Times table of the last free practice of the Tuscan GP: .1. Valtteri Bottas (FIN / Mercedes) 1: 17.879 .2. Max Verstappen (HOL / Red Bull) at 0.017 .3. Lewis Hamilton (GBR / Mercedes) at 0.083 .4. Lance Stroll (CAN / Racing Point) at 0.582 .5. Pierre Gasly (FRA / Alpha Tauri) at 0.696.6. Sergio Pérez (MEX / Racing Point) at 0.811 .7. Charles Leclerc (MON / Ferrari) at 0.958 .8. Alexander Albon (TAI / Red Bull) at 1,008.9. Daniil Kvyat (RUS / Alpha Tauri) at 1,097 10. Romain Grosjean (FRA / Haas) at 1,105 11. Esteban Ocon (FRA / Renault) at 1,216 12. Carlos Sainz (ESP / McLaren) at 1,238 13. Antonio Giovinazzi (ITA / Alfa Romeo) at 1,282 14. Kimi Raikkonen (FIN / Alfa Romeo) at 1,313 15. Kevin Magnussen (DIN / Haas) at 1,509 16. Nicholas Latifi (CAN / Williams) at 1,542 17. Daniel Ricciardo (AUS / Renault) at 1,612 18. Sebastian Vettel (GER / Ferrari) at 1,656 19. Lando Norris (GBR / McLaren) at 2,296 20. George Russell (GBR / Williams) without time.