Perez’s late performance in the Variante Alta led to a last gasp for drivers to set final qualifying simulation times, where only Lando Norris was able to set a time that took him second, 0.3s slower than his team-mate.
Several drivers failed to set a time in this late scramble, including Max Verstappen, who qualified without a proper spotter on soft tyres. Work on medium tires.
Ferrari duo Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc finished third and fourth with set times during a series of soft-tire runs in the first third of the session.
Leclerc tried to set a late flying time as the clock ticked down as he overtook several cars, including Sains, with an aggressive outlap.
But with Piastre and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in the running to start his final lap, Leclerc’s opening section was slower than his personal best and he dropped back.
Piastre’s session-setting time – a 1m15.529s – saw the pack prepare more typically for late-flying riders in the final 10 minutes, but Perez’s crash curtailed these efforts, even if the drivers had more time to get back on track. All are willing to do so on used rubber, including Norris at the head of the pack.
Perez lost the rear of his Red Bull when he hit the barriers at the first apex of the Variante Alta and bounced to earth and his correction sent him into the gravel and into the barriers.
This included George Russell finishing fifth ahead of Verstappen in a session where he complained that the two Mercedes cars rode differently. problems.
The other stoppage came halfway through when Alonso (18th on the final row) lost control of his car turning from the curbs between the Rivazza turns and spun backwards into the barriers on the outside of the final corner.
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin AMR24, slips into the gravel
Photo: Zak Mauger / Motorsport films
Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix – Free Practice 3
