Austrian GP Practice 3: Norris Leads McLaren 1-2 Ahead of Qualifying

Lando Norris finished top of the final practice session for the Austrian Grand Prix, once again outpacing his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, as the team demonstrated strong pace.

Norris improved upon his leading time from Friday`s second practice, setting a fastest lap of 1:04.324, which put him 0.118 seconds ahead of Piastri.

After missing Friday`s first practice due to McLaren fulfilling a mandatory rookie driver session, Norris`s performance is a significant statement, especially following his recent collision with Piastri in Canada that forced his retirement and widened the points gap between them to 22.

Red Bull`s Max Verstappen secured third place, maintaining the top three positions from the previous session. However, his two-tenth deficit to Norris, coupled with some handling challenges that resulted in a late spin, indicated that the pole position battle might be confined to the McLaren drivers.

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were fourth and fifth respectively for Ferrari. This performance represents an improvement for the Italian squad after a challenging Friday, suggesting they may be benefiting from their updated car floor.

George Russell of Mercedes, fresh from his victory and pole in Canada, finished sixth, almost seven tenths behind Norris, just ahead of his teammate Kimi Antonelli. His pace suggests replicating his Canadian success might be difficult.

While Norris has shown impressive speed, a mistake during his first flying lap attempt on the final set of soft tires served as a reminder of the precision required for a perfect qualifying lap.

Several times this season, the Briton has looked capable of matching or even surpassing Piastri`s pace in practice, only to make errors during qualifying sessions that resulted in grid positions below the car`s potential.

Piastri, typically consistent, also had a moment of difficulty, running onto the gravel midway through the session. This caused floor damage, requiring temporary repairs with a glue gun and keeping him off the track for a short period.

Although Verstappen might not have the outright pace of the McLarens based on practice times, the reigning world champion`s proven ability to extract maximum performance when qualifying begins ensures the fight for pole position will be a fascinating event.

Further down the field, Lance Stroll of Aston Martin and Gabriel Bortoleto of Sauber both continued their positive weekend form, finishing within the top 10. They head into qualifying with realistic hopes of advancing to Q3.