Italian GP: Massa tops final practice washout
Third and final Formula 1 practice for the Italian Grand Prix was a near-total washout, with just a few drivers completing timed laps.
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Rain did not arrive as expected on Friday, but showers overnight were followed by heavier rain on Saturday morning at Monza.
F1 race director Charlie Whiting then delayed the start of F1 practice "indefinitely" as the risk of aquaplaning was "high".
The clock continued to run down as there has to be a two-hour gap between the end of FP3 and the start of qualifying.
The safety car headed out several times in the one-hour session to assess the track and at just past the halfway point deemed the conditions had improved.
The session started with 16 minutes remaining, with Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo the first driver to head out to brave the puddles on a set of full wet Pirelli tyres.
All drivers apart headed out to assess the track conditions, but only seven drivers completed timed laps.
The conditions remained treacherous, with Toro Rosso duo Carlos Sainz and Daniil Kvyat locking up on the run to the first corner and missing the first chicane.
Sainz completed the most running, but that still only totalled five laps while Felipe Massa topped the times with a 1m40.660s.
No driver was willing to push hard and the conditions meant teams were unable to carry out qualifying simulations as usual.
| Cla | Driver | Chassis | Engine | Laps | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Felipe Massa |
Williams | Mercedes | 4 | 1'40.660 | |
| 2 |  Lance Stroll |
Williams | Mercedes | 4 | 1'40.888 | 0.228 |
| 3 |  Nico Hulkenberg |
Renault | Renault | 4 | 1'41.491 | 0.831 |
| 4 |  Carlos Sainz Jr. |
Toro Rosso | Renault | 5 | 1'41.515 | 0.855 |
| 5 |  Jolyon Palmer |
Renault | Renault | 4 | 1'44.369 | 3.709 |
| 6 |  Marcus Ericsson |
Sauber | Ferrari | 3 | 1'44.701 | 4.041 |
| 7 |  Daniil Kvyat |
Toro Rosso | Renault | 4 | 1'45.033 | 4.373 |
| 8 |  Daniel Ricciardo |
Red Bull | TAG | 1 | ||
| 9 |  Max Verstappen |
Red Bull | TAG | 1 | ||
| 10 | Sebastian Vettel |
Ferrari | Ferrari | 3 | ||
| 11 |  Kimi Raikkonen |
Ferrari | Ferrari | 4 | ||
| 12 | Fernando Alonso |
McLaren | Honda | 2 | ||
| 13 |  Stoffel Vandoorne |
McLaren | Honda | 4 | ||
| 14 |  Romain Grosjean |
Haas | Ferrari | 1 | ||
| 15 |  Kevin Magnussen |
Haas | Ferrari | 1 | ||
| 16 | Esteban Ocon |
Force India | Mercedes | 2 | ||
| 17 | Pascal Wehrlein |
Sauber | Ferrari | 2 | ||
| 18 | Valtteri Bottas |
Mercedes | Mercedes | 1 | ||
| 19 |  Sergio Perez |
Force India | Mercedes | 1 | ||
| 20 | Lewis Hamilton |
Mercedes | Mercedes | 1 |
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