Summary

  • Hamilton on pole, Rosberg 2nd, Massa 3rd

  • Vettel 4th, Raikkonen 5th, Bottas 6th

  • Ricciardo 7th, Sainz 8th, Grosjean 9th, Maldonado 10th

  • Kvyat out for Red Bull, McLarens out in Q1

  • Manor will not race on Sunday

  • Van der Garde drops Sauber dispute

  • McLaren do not know when Alonso will return

Live Reporting

Gary Rose

  1. Mercedes: And Lewis Hamilton does the same - that's us wrapped up for FP3! Awaiting the flag for a full rundown...

  2. Carlos Sainz Jr runs through the gravel at Turn 1 but keeps it together and gets himself back on track.

    Meanwhile, Mercedes confirm Nico Rosberg's running is done for practice. It won't be a clean sweep of the sessions for him, but could be for Mercedes with Lewis Hamilton still leading the way.

  3. Allan McNish
    BBC Radio 5 live analyst

    "I feel Mercedes still have a little more in their pocket but Ferrari are in the game."

  4. Sebastian VettelGetty Images

    Sebastian Vettel, after a little spell in the Ferrari garage, is back out and splits the Mercedes as he clocks a 1:28.563.

  5. Get involved #bbcf1

    George Taylor: Red Bull and Renault engine combination at the moment is like orange juice and toothpaste. #DoesntWork

    Jeremiah Kariuki: It will be a big ask to any Red Bull driver to take any top 3 positions in qualifying. On race day, getting any points is a big bonus.

    Aneek Mustafa: FP3 has given more entertainment in terms of incidents that the whole of last season.

    Lisa Moran: So far, the timing of Vettel's move to Ferrari looks impeccable! Feel for Ricciardo at his home GP. Lewis Hamilton for pole - Come on 44!

  6. Nico Rosberg improves on his third timed lap with a 1:28.821, but Lewis Hamilton is flying and he goes even faster with a 1:27.867.

  7. Mercedes: And that's the call - Lewis Hamilton takes to the track with 10mins of FP3 to run. Last chance for laps before qualifying... let's go!

  8. Tom Clarkson
    BBC F1 pit-lane reporter

    "While Nico Rosberg was setting that time, Lewis Hamilton is in the Mercedes garage and they have been making a front suspension change on his car. I would say he is not 100% happy and he will probably want to have a look at Nico's data before going out and trying to nail lap."

  9. Moments later, Nico Rosberg goes fastest on the softs with a 1:28.939 to topple his team-mate Lewis Hamilton at the top.

  10. bbc

    Here's the standings towards the end of final practice.

  11. James Allen
    BBC Radio 5 live commentator

    "The unflappable bird is still down at Turn Three, as Felipe Massa flashes past it in the Williams."

  12. Into the last 15 minutes of the session and drivers head in to prepare for a qualifying simulation run. Nico Rosberg heads back with soft tyres bolted on.

    Nico RosbergGetty Images

  13. A stork-like bird, seemingly unperturbed by the hulking great machines hurtling around him, is nonchalantly standing in the gravel trap as Daniel Riccardo thunders past, the Australian clocking a 1:31.185 that is only good enough for P9.

  14. After the off-circuit drama, both Felipe Nasr and Marcus Ericsson have had plenty of time on the circuit today.

    A little error from Ericsson sees him lock up and he spins coming out of turn 12.

  15. There's a strong wind whistling through Albert Park at the moment and Nico Rosberg battles for control as he goes off briefly at Turn 4, but keeps things under control.

    Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo is back out and is on a flying lap, with medium tyres on his Red Bull.

  16. Get involved #bbcf1

    Nita Lewsey: My stomach is in nervous knots - so excited for the return of #F1 my money is on 2014 world champion Lewis Hamilton.

    James Bamford: Sleep has forsaken me. So is it F1 or Cricket World Cup to see me through the small hours.

  17. Lewis HamiltonGetty Images

    Lewis Hamilton shows his teeth for the first time today as a 1:29.128 is enough to see him nudge ahead of his team-mate Nico Rosberg.

  18. A 1:30.004 for Valtteri Bottas sees him go second fastest, a tenth of a second quicker than Sebastian Vettel.

  19. Tom Clarkson
    BBC F1 pit-lane reporter

    "I am getting the impression that they are so livid with the situation at Renault that they cannot bring themselves to look at the car.

    "Daniel Ricciardo is going to be going into qualifying without having completed many laps at all."

  20. Oh dear! This is not good for Red Bull as Daniel Ricciardo stops at the pitlane exit. Marshals quickly descend on the stricken Red Bull to wheel it back to the pitlane, where the team's mechanics pull it back to the garage.

    This is not what the home crowd want to see, and it clearly not what Christian Horner and Adrian Newey want to see either. The legendary designer is covering his eyes.

    Daniel RicciardoGetty Images