Max Verstappen topped Friday’s Saudi Arabian Grand Prix third and final practice for the troubled Red Bull team after British teenager Oliver Bearman was handed a dramatic debut for Ferrari.
The defending three-time world champion clocked a best lap in one minute 28.412 seconds to beat Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by two-tenths as he again shrugged aside the controversy around the team, following Christian Horner being cleared of all allegations of improper conduct last week.
Bearman, 18, was called in by Ferrari to replace appendicitis victim Carlos Sainz – who had taken part in both of Thursday’s sessions despite great discomfort – on Friday morning and delivered a calm performance to finish 10th.