Sebastian Vettel remained the one to beat during third practice as he kept his Red Bull atop the timesheets, but only just ahead of Fernando Alonso.
The Spaniard closed the gap to go second, just a tenth slower than the championship leader in what could be a crucial race for Alonso’s own title hopes.
The second Bull of Mark Webber was third, with Jean-Eric Vergne surprising in fourth ahead of Felipe Massa.
The one hour session saw no tyre dramas unlike FP2 which saw both Vettel and Alonso suffer punctures. A small piece of metal sticking out of a kerb is thought to be the cause.
McLaren’s Jenson Button continued their good form with the sixth quickest time, whilst Romain Grosjean was the highest placed Lotus in eighth.
Lewis Hamilton could only manage 12th, but remained within a second of the fastest time.
FP3 Times – 2013 Belgian Grand Prix:
| # | Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | S. Vettel | Red Bull | 1:48.327 | 16 | |
| 02 | F. Alonso | Ferrari | 1:48.432 | +0.105 | 14 |
| 03 | M. Webber | Red Bull | 1:48.533 | +0.206 | 16 |
| 04 | J-E. Vergne | Toro Rosso | 1:48.776 | +0.449 | 15 |
| 05 | F. Massa | Ferrari | 1:48.788 | +0.461 | 15 |
| 06 | J. Button | McLaren | 1:48.882 | +0.555 | 13 |
| 07 | E. Gutierrez | Sauber | 1:48.930 | +0.603 | 18 |
| 08 | R. Grosjean | Lotus | 1:48.967 | +0.640 | 14 |
| 09 | N. Rosberg | Mercedes | 1:48.993 | +0.666 | 16 |
| 10 | K. Räikkönen | Lotus | 1:49.008 | +0.681 | 17 |
| 11 | D. Ricciardo | Toro Rosso | 1:49.035 | +0.708 | 15 |
| 12 | L. Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:49.046 | +0.719 | 17 |
| 13 | A. Sutil | Force India | 1:49.122 | +0.795 | 15 |
| 14 | V. Bottas | Williams | 1:49.177 | +0.850 | 15 |
| 15 | P. di Resta | Force India | 1:49.226 | +0.899 | 14 |
| 16 | S. Perez | McLaren | 1:49.417 | +1.090 | 14 |
| 17 | N. Hulkenberg | Sauber | 1:49.478 | +1.151 | 19 |
| 18 | P. Maldonado | Williams | 1:50.418 | +2.091 | 14 |
| 19 | C. Pic | Caterham | 1:51.416 | +3.089 | 15 |
| 20 | G. van der Garde | Caterham | 1:51.800 | +3.473 | 18 |
| 21 | J. Bianchi | Marussia | 1:52.221 | +3.894 | 17 |
| 22 | M. Chilton | Marussia | 1:53.507 | +5.180 | 18 |
