Lando Norris outperformed teammate Oscar Piastri as McLaren showcased dominant performance in the final practice session at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
Norris clocked a lap time of 1:27.489, edging out Piastri by a mere 0.024 seconds at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. George Russell of Mercedes was a distant third, six-tenths of a second behind, suggesting a possible McLaren duel for pole position in the upcoming qualifying session.
Piastri had seemed to have the edge throughout the practice, but an error on his last flying lap attempt allowed Norris to snatch the top spot on the timesheet.
Norris currently leads Piastri by three points in the championship standings, despite inconsistent performances since his victory in Australia. He mentioned earlier that he adjusted his driving style to better suit McLaren`s 2025 car.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen in his Red Bull secured fourth place, slightly ahead of Ferrari`s Charles Leclerc.
Lewis Hamilton`s struggles with Ferrari continued as he finished in 12th position, over a second slower than the McLarens and four-tenths behind his teammate.
Williams remained a strong contender among the top teams, with Alex Albon finishing sixth, followed by his teammate Carlos Sainz.
Yuki Tsunoda in the other Red Bull car finished ninth, after missing the initial part of the session due to repairs following his crash in the second practice.
McLaren`s impressive pace is a warning to their competitors. However, their ability to maintain this peak performance in the cooler qualifying conditions remains to be seen, offering rivals a glimmer of hope to close the gap.
Despite this, McLaren is looking strong to potentially secure their fourth pole position in five qualifying sessions this season.
Karun Chandhok noted that McLaren might have increased engine power or reduced fuel load in their cars. He anticipates a smaller gap between Russell, Verstappen, and McLaren during qualifying, similar to what was observed in Bahrain.
Chandhok added that McLaren might be aiming to maximize performance in FP3 to give drivers more practice, a strategy that has proven successful with multiple pole positions this season, except for Japan.
Saudi Arabian GP Practice Three Timesheet
| Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:27.489 |
| 2) Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.024 |
| 3) George Russell | Mercedes | +0.627 |
| 4) Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.845 |
| 5) Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.883 |
| 6) Alex Albon | Williams | +0.900 |
| 7) Carlos Sainz | Williams | +1.081 |
| 8) Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1.136 |
| 9) Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | +1.181 |
| 10) Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +1.190 |
| 11) Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +1.280 |
| 12) Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +1.291 |
| 13) Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +1.372 |
| 14) Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +1.399 |
| 15) Jack Doohan | Alpine | +1.409 |
| 16) Oliver Bearman | Haas | +1.500 |
| 17) Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber | +1.731 |
| 18) Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1.847 |
| 19) Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | +1.921 |
| 20) Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +1.989 |
Saudi Arabian GP Schedule
- 4.10pm: F2 Sprint
- 5.10pm: Saudi Arabian GP Qualifying build-up
- 6pm: SAUDI ARABIAN GP QUALIFYING
- 1pm: F1 Academy Race 2
- 2.20pm: F2 Feature Race
- 4.30pm: Saudi Arabian GP build-up: Grand Prix Sunday
- 6pm: THE SAUDI ARABIAN GRAND PRIX*
- 8pm: Saudi Arabian GP reaction: Chequered flag
*Also live on Sky Sports Main Event
Formula 1 continues its first triple-header of 2025 in Jeddah with the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this weekend.
