Norris tops FP3 in Montreal, with Leclerc shining late on used tyres. Alonso, Hamilton and Verstappen also show strong pace.
After a challenging first day on a still-green Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, drivers had the evening and morning to make adjustments and find performance. This FP3 session is a key chance to confirm that the direction taken is the right one.
Following this session, only a few hours will remain before qualifying, which will be the true litmus test of the weekend. A major challenge in qualifying will clearly be the use of the C6 soft tyre—the softest compound in the range—which can be tricky to exploit over a single lap.
The battle between teams is tighter than ever, with Mercedes showing a slight edge, but McLaren and Max Verstappen are close behind. Ferrari appeared to be on the back foot on day one, while Williams broke into the top five with Alex Albon.
Further back, the picture is just as unclear. Racing Bulls and Fernando Alonso comfortably made the top 10. But with just seven-tenths of a second between sixth place (mid-Q3) and 16th (Q1 elimination), everything is still up for grabs for all 20 drivers on the grid.
18:12 – The FIA has confirmed that Charles Leclerc’s chassis, damaged yesterday, was replaced according to regulations. The Monegasque driver will be able to start FP3.
18:18 – One of the race stewards this weekend will be remote: Enrique Bernoldi, who replaces Derek Warwick, sidelined after commenting on Verstappen’s penalty in Spain.
18:21 – The Las Vegas Grand Prix will remain on the calendar for at least two more years, through 2027, confirmed by its director Emily Prazer: “We want to continue developing the event and have a long-term vision. Although the race has had its challenges, we want to ensure it continues to thrive. Collectively, we’ve decided this is the best approach. We are planning long-term, and this is where we stand.” With Liberty Media—owner of F1—also promoting the Las Vegas GP, reaching an agreement was never going to be too difficult.
18:24 – Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase confirmed yesterday that the Dutchman faced setup issues: “In terms of balance, Max was a bit less comfortable in FP2, complaining about the car’s mechanical behaviour. There’s a lot of work to do to understand and ensure we’re quick right from FP3.”
18:30 – FP3 is underway!
18:37 – As is often the case, FP3 starts quietly with a few drivers on reconnaissance laps.
18:39 – Only Franco Colapinto, Isack Hadjar, and Leclerc are on track.
18:41 – Leclerc sets a time of 1:15.002 on medium tyres.
18:42 – Oliver Bearman goes quicker with a 1:14.831, while Esteban Ocon slots into third, both on mediums.
18:44 – Fernando Alonso clocks the fastest time so far—1:13.050 on soft tyres. Lance Stroll is four-tenths back.
18:46 – Leclerc responds with a 1:12.843 on mediums.
18:47 – Oscar Piastri moves into fourth on mediums; Yuki Tsunoda is only eighth for now. Alonso was improving but went straight on.
18:50 – Piastri was on a fast lap but clipped the Wall of Champions, damaging his right rear wheel. The McLaren driver returns slowly to the pits.
18:52 – Red flag is out due to carbon debris on the racing line exiting the final corner. The wheel attachment appears broken; it remains to be seen if the suspension is also damaged, which could end Piastri’s session.
18:53 – Nico Hülkenberg spins at the same spot just after Piastri and slightly damages the rear wing of his Sauber.
18:58 – The session resumes with just over 30 minutes remaining.
19:00 – George Russell sets the fourth-fastest time despite a purple second sector. Andrea Kimi Antonelli finishes with only the 13th fastest lap. Lando Norris jumps to second, 0.137s behind Leclerc.
19:01 – Max Verstappen goes eighth on softs, while Isack Hadjar takes sixth.
19:03 – Carlos Sainz moves into seventh as Alex Albon has a moment off in the grass.
19:04 – Verstappen closes to within 0.014s of Leclerc on softs, but Norris goes quickest with a 1:12.375 on mediums.
19:05 – Russell betters that on softs with a 1:12.329. Verstappen reports his brakes still lack bite.
19:06 – Hadjar improves to fifth on softs.
19:08 – Verstappen improves again, now 0.141s behind Russell in third.
19:09 – On mediums, Hamilton improves and posts a 1:12.279 to go fastest. Meanwhile, Albon climbs to sixth.
19:11: Russell significantly improves the fastest time and moves to the top with a 1:11.950. Piastri also improves but remains fifth.
19:15: Bearman climbs to eighth, while the Williams drivers hold sixth and seventh.
19:17: Hamilton takes second, just 0.100s behind Russell, but Norris goes even quicker with a 1:11.799. Antonelli improves but stays eighth.
19:18: Bearman hit the final chicane hard after a big slide but didn’t break his suspension. “The car is a nightmare,” he says.
19:23: Held up by traffic—specifically Hamilton, who was himself blocked by Colapinto—Gasly vents: “I’m getting fed up with these guys, seriously, what are we doing?”
19:26: Alonso climbs to fifth, while Tsunoda completes his first lap on softs but remains 20th.
19:28: Verstappen complains of having no grip on the front tyres.
19:29: Leclerc has closed the gap to Norris, now just 0.078 seconds behind.
19:30: FP3 comes to a close!
Norris ends the session on top, followed by Leclerc and Russell, then Hamilton and Verstappen. Alonso is next, ahead of Antonelli, Piastri, and the Williams pair of Sainz and Albon. Hadjar and Gasly sit just outside the top 10, followed by Stroll, the Haas duo, then Colapinto, the Saubers, and Tsunoda.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL39 | 1:11.799 | 24 |
| 02 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-25 | 1:11.877 | 29 |
| 03 | George Russell | Mercedes W16 | 1:11.950 | 20 |
| 04 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari SF-25 | 1:12.050 | 26 |
| 05 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB21 | 1:12.072 | 20 |
| 06 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR25 | 1:12.247 | 21 |
| 07 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes W16 | 1:12.348 | 21 |
| 08 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL39 | 1:12.519 | 18 |
| 09 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes FW47 | 1:12.519 | 22 |
| 10 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW47 | 1:12.573 | 22 |
| 11 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT VCARB 02 | 1:12.651 | 22 |
| 12 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault A525 | 1:12.684 | 27 |
| 13 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT VCARB 02 | 1:12.791 | 27 |
| 14 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR25 | 1:12.794 | 28 |
| 15 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari VF-25 | 1:12.825 | 27 |
| 16 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari VF-25 | 1:12.827 | 22 |
| 17 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine Renault A525 | 1:13.060 | 27 |
| 18 | Nico Hülkenberg | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C45 | 1:13.072 | 19 |
| 19 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C45 | 1:13.172 | 22 |
| 20 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB21 | 1:13.573 | 14 |
