Norris sets the pace in Imola’s FP3 while soft tyre performance remains inconsistent; Verstappen and McLaren hold a strong advantage.
Verstappen sets the pace in Free Practice 3 at Imola, with McLaren and Ferrari rivals closing in before F1 qualifying showdown.
The second day of action at the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix is underway, with Free Practice 3 (FP3) setting the stage for this afternoon’s all-important qualifying session, scheduled for 4:00 PM local time.
Once again, the spotlight is on the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who are looking sharp. But Max Verstappen, who emphasized the importance of the upcoming races for his future, remains a major threat as he closes in on the McLarens.
Over at Mercedes, George Russell, who’s also been vague about his future, and rising star Andrea Kimi Antonelli are aiming to break into the top rows of the grid. Meanwhile, Ferrari will be hoping for a turnaround after a tough Friday, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton eager to bounce back in front of the home crowd.
Don’t rule out surprises from the midfield either. Williams and Alpine showed solid pace on Day 1, with Alex Albon, Carlos Sainz, and Pierre Gasly all breaking into the top 10.
Here’s how FP3 unfolded:
12:30 PM – Green light! The session is live.
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12:34 PM – A quiet start as teams focus on short runs. Most are saving their efforts for the latter half of the session.
12:37 PM – Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll head out on hard tyres. Hamilton runs on mediums, while Nico Hülkenberg opts for softs.
12:38 PM – Both Aston Martins return to the pits after brief outings.
12:39 PM – Hamilton sets the early benchmark: 1:16.983.
12:45 PM – Franco Colapinto jumps to P2, but Gasly takes the lead with a 1:16.679.
12:46 PM – Hamilton responds with a 1:15.866 to reclaim P1.
12:49 PM – Leclerc goes third on mediums. Haas rookie Oliver Bearman climbs to P2 on softs, same as the Alpine drivers.
12:50 PM – Piastri snatches the top spot with a 1:15.833, but Verstappen immediately goes faster with 1:15.579.
12:51 PM – Norris slots into P2, just 0.077s off Verstappen’s time.
12:54 PM – Leclerc hits back with a 1:15.529 on mediums. Isack Hadjar then goes even quicker: 1:15.508, also on mediums.
12:55 PM – Frustration from Alonso, who’s held up by Leclerc: “The Ferrari in the last corner… both Ferraris, they always think they’re alone on track.”
12:56 PM – Verstappen sets the fastest time of the session: 1:15.130 on mediums. Expect soft tyres to come into play in the final 20 minutes.
12:57 PM – Norris improves again but remains 0.139s behind Verstappen.
12:59 PM – Both Williams drivers are impressively in P7 and P8, ahead of Russell.
1:00 PM – Lawson spins but avoids damage and continues.
1:02 PM: Russell climbs to fifth, and Verstappen improves with a 1:15.078. Antonelli also makes progress but stays 13th.
1:08 PM: Hadjar was practicing a start and nearly pulled away in front of Sainz, but stopped just in time before moving from his spot.
1:09 PM: Sainz moves up to third in the standings.
1:14 PM: Piastri was on a fast lap on soft tyres but aborted after a mistake, just as Russell had done earlier.
1:15 PM: Verstappen did not improve on softs despite setting the fastest first sector.
1:17 PM: Norris completes his best lap and takes the lead with a 1:14.897.
1:21 PM: Antonelli delivers his first truly convincing lap of the weekend, going fourth fastest.
FP3 from Imola – Into the final 10 minutes
Norris, Verstappen, Piastri, Antonelli, Sainz, Hadjar, Leclerc, Russell, Albon and Alonso…
1:26 PM: Piastri improves and moves to second, just 0.100 behind Norris.
1:28 PM: Tsunoda complains of having “zero grip.”
1:29 PM: Leclerc improves and takes fifth place.
1:30 PM: The chequered flag waves to end the session, as several drivers begin a final flying lap.
Top 10 – Norris, Piastri, Verstappen, Antonelli, Leclerc, Sainz, Hadjar, Russell, Albon and Hamilton.
2025 F1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix – Practice Results (3)
| 1 | Lando Norris | 1m14.897s |
| 2 | Oscar Piastri | 1m14.997s |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | 1m15.078s |
| 4 | Kimi Antonelli | 1m15.399s |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | 1m15.451s |
| 6 | Carlos Sainz | 1m15.484s |
| 7 | Isack Hadjar | 1m15.508s |
| 8 | George Russell | 1m15.662s |
| 9 | Alex Albon | 1m15.732s |
| 10 | Lewis Hamilton | 1m15.787s |
| 11 | Fernando Alonso | 1m15.819s |
| 12 | Oliver Bearman | 1m15.944s |
| 13 | Lance Stroll | 1m15.975s |
| 14 | Liam Lawson | 1m15.977s |
| 15 | Pierre Gasly | 1m15.990s |
| 16 | Gabriel Bortoleto | 1m16.046s |
| 17 | Yuki Tsunoda | 1m16.110s |
| 18 | Franco Colapinto | 1m16.210s |
| 19 | Nico Hulkenberg | 1m16.238s |
| 20 | Esteban Ocon | 1m16.387s |
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