McLaren continued their commanding presence in the 2025 season by locking out the top two spots in final practice at the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, with Lando Norris narrowly edging out team-mate Oscar Piastri by just 0.024s. The pair were in a league of their own at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, with Norris posting a 1m27.489s in the final minutes to reclaim top spot from the Australian, as George Russell trailed nearly six-tenths behind in third.
What To Know?
- McLaren Lockout: Norris led Piastri by 0.024s as McLaren dominated the final practice session in Jeddah.
- Rivals Trail: Russell was six-tenths back in third, with Verstappen and Leclerc unable to challenge the top two.
- Hamilton’s Struggles Continue: The Ferrari driver finished 12th, over a second off Norris and behind team-mate Leclerc.
In searing 30°C heat, FP3 kicked off under a slowly setting sun as teams got their last opportunity to dial in the setups before qualifying under the lights. The session began quietly, with many drivers opting to stay in the garage early on, though Gabriel Bortoleto was quickly out on track in an effort to recover mileage after missing FP2 due to a fuel leak. A mix of soft and medium tyre runs followed, with Haas and Aston Martin drivers completing installation laps while Jack Doohan and Esteban Ocon began to lay down early markers.
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As running intensified, Lewis Hamilton ventured out in hopes of turning around a difficult weekend. While his initial lap placed him just ahead of team-mate Charles Leclerc — who had a wild snap of oversteer at the final corner — the Ferrari pairing continued to struggle. Leclerc later recovered to go fifth, but Hamilton ended up 12th, over a second off the McLarens and four-tenths down on his team-mate, reinforcing concerns over his ability to reach Q3 later in the day.
At the sharp end, Max Verstappen briefly split the McLarens with a strong first flyer, though his effort came aided by a timely tow. Traffic remained a persistent obstacle as drivers attempted to string together clean laps, with Isack Hadjar among those compromised. With 17 minutes remaining, the final qualifying simulations began. Russell was first to strike with a 1m28.214s for Mercedes, but Piastri responded emphatically with a 1m27.513s. Norris, however, wasn’t done — improving again to deliver a session-best 1m27.489s and reclaim the top spot in the closing moments.
Russell improved late on to solidify third, but the gap to the McLarens was striking. Verstappen ended up fourth, 0.845s off Norris, as Red Bull continued to look more competitive than in Bahrain but still shy of the leaders. Behind Leclerc, the Williams duo of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz continued their strong form with P6 and P7 respectively, confirming their position as serious midfield contenders this weekend. Pierre Gasly showed that Alpine’s pace in FP1 wasn’t a fluke by going eighth, while Yuki Tsunoda bounced back from his FP2 crash to claim ninth ahead of Nico Hülkenberg.
Despite the dominance on display, there was cautious optimism from rival camps. The hotter FP3 conditions didn’t reflect the cooler, grippier conditions expected in qualifying, leaving the door open — however slightly — for surprises under the lights. Yet, McLaren’s blistering speed and control in all conditions suggest it will take something extraordinary to deny them a fourth pole from five this season. As Karun Chandhok noted, McLaren may have shown more of their hand in FP3 than rivals, but their form looks ominously real heading into the business end of the weekend.
2025 Saudi Arabian GP FP3 Results
2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix FP3, 19 April 2025
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:27.489 | 18 | |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:27.513 | +0.024s | 19 |
| 3 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:28.116 | +0.627s | 17 |
| 4 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:28.334 | +0.845s | 14 |
| 5 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:28.372 | +0.883s | 21 |
| 6 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:28.389 | +0.900s | 16 |
| 7 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | 1:28.570 | +1.081s | 15 |
| 8 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:28.625 | +1.136s | 16 |
| 9 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:28.670 | +1.181s | 14 |
| 10 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:28.679 | +1.190s | 18 |
| 11 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:28.769 | +1.280s | 17 |
| 12 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:28.780 | +1.291s | 20 |
| 13 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:28.861 | +1.372s | 18 |
| 14 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:28.888 | +1.399s | 19 |
| 15 | 7 | Jack Doohan | Alpine Renault | 1:28.898 | +1.409s | 21 |
| 16 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 1:28.989 | +1.500s | 15 |
| 17 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:29.220 | +1.731s | 16 |
| 18 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari | 1:29.336 | +1.847s | 20 |
| 19 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:29.410 | +1.921s | 24 |
| 20 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:29.478 | +1.989s | 19 |
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