Lewis Hamilton seized the initiative at Spa-Francorchamps, eclipsing team-mate Nico Rosberg by almost half a second in final practice for the Belgian Grand Prix.

Rosberg had run quicker than Hamilton in both Friday sessions but this morning championship leader Hamilton set a blistering pace during the session's qualifying simulations to finish with a time of 1:48.984, 0.498s clear of the German.

Third on the timesheet was Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel, the four-time world champion improving on a low key Friday to get to within seven tenths of the imperious Hamilton. Vettel’s team-mate Kimi Räikkönen, this week confirmed for another season at the Scuderia, was fourth fastest, just over two tenths further back.

Hamilton also controlled the opening half hour of the session, run on medium tyres, with the Briton topping the prime tyre times ahead of Daniel Ricciardo who once again demonstrated Red Bull Racing’s improved competitiveness by getting to within five hundredths of a second of the Briton. Rosberg was third a tenth further back.

Ricciardo then moved to the soft tyre and predictably moved to the top of the list. He was rapidly followed onto the option tyre by Toro Rosso’s Max Verstappen who slotted into second place. The Red Bull’s then took the top two spots as Daniil Kvyat moved to the options to set a time just five hundredths of a second adrift of his team-mate.

The Mercedes drivers bided their time but ten minutes from the end of the session Rosberg powered past Ricciardo’s time, lapping half  a second faster than the Australian.

It was then Hamilton’s turn and the Briton found exceptional pace to beat his team-mate by a further half second.

With Vettel and Raikkonen then slotting into third and fourth, fifth place went to Force India’s Sergio Perez with Ricciardo and Kvyat sixth and seventh respectively.

Nico Hulkenberg gave Force India hope of a strong qualifying session by setting the eighth fastest time ahead of Williams’ Valtteri Bottas and Felipe Massa who finished ninth and tenth respectively.

It was a difficult session for McLaren. The team had announced a host of power unit changes for both its drivers on Friday, with Fernando Alonso and Jenson Button being hit with a combined drop of 55 places on the grid and this morning, Alonso's day ended early end with a suspected exhaust problem. The Spaniard failed to set as time during the session. Button, meanwhile, finished 17th, ahead of the Manor cars.

A further precautionary engine change to both McLaren cars means that the team will take an unprecedented combined 105-place grid penalty. 

2015 Belgian Grand Prix – Free Practice 3
1 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1:48.984 15
2 Nico Rosberg Mercedes 0.498 19
3 Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 0.645 17
4 Kimi Raikkonen Ferrari 0.880 19
5 Sergio Perez Force India 0.882 15
6 Daniel Ricciardo Red Bull Racing 0.946 20
7 Daniil Kvyat Red Bull Racing 0.996 19
8 Nico Hulkenberg Force India 1.016 15
9 Valtteri Bottas Williams 1.195 15
10 Felipe Massa Williams 1.463 15
11 Carlos Sainz Jr. Toro Rosso 1.568 20
12 Pastor Maldonado Lotus 1.601 17
13 Max Verstappen Toro Rosso 1.615 21
14 Felipe Nasr Sauber 1.706 17
15 Marcus Ericsson Sauber 2.070 20
16 Romain Grosjean Lotus 2.203 18
17 Jenson Button McLaren 2.997 12
18 Will Stevens Marussia 5.278 16
19 Roberto Merhi Marussia 5.297 9
20 Fernando Alonso McLaren no time 1