Practice 3 Report - Norris continues to lead McLaren 1-2

Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri
© McLaren

Lando Norris led Oscar Piastri in a commanding McLaren 1-2 in final practice for the 2025 Formula 1 Austrian Grand Prix, as several drivers suffered spins in the tricky conditions at the Red Bull Ring.

Norris continued his momentum from FP2 by topping FP3 with a 1m04.324s lap, edging team-mate and current championship leader Piastri by 0.118s.

Behind them, Max Verstappen was again best of the rest in third for Red Bull, 0.210s adrift, despite a late-session spin. The world champion had earlier expressed hope of reeling in the McLarens, but his RB21 looked on edge as he pushed for pace.

The session featured several dramatic moments. Piastri came close to losing his car at Turn 9 after dipping a wheel into the gravel, while Isack Hadjar rotated fully at the final corner in his Racing Bulls machine but continued. Yuki Tsunoda also spun, getting struck on exit at Turn 1, highlighting how low grip levels caught multiple drivers out.

Ferrari showed some recovery after Friday, with Charles Leclerc up to fourth, just ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton. George Russell led the Mercedes effort in sixth, half a second off Norris, with rookie team-mate Kimi Antonelli following closely in seventh.

Lance Stroll, who had been fourth-fastest in FP2, slipped to eighth in the morning session, while Tsunoda and Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto completed the top 10.

Notably, the entire field ran soft tyres except for Hadjar, who completed his best lap on the medium compound. Both Williams cars were further down the order, with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon only managing 14th and 15th, while Alpine continued to struggle with both Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto near the bottom of the timesheets.

As track temperatures continue to rise, all eyes now turn to qualifying where McLaren looks to convert its strong practice form into a front-row lockout, while rivals scramble for answers.