Practice 3 Report - McLaren dominates with 0.6s advantage in Jeddah

George Russell, Saudi Arabian GP 2025
© Mercedes

McLaren signalled its intent for pole position at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix with a dominant display in final practice, as Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri topped the timesheets in sweltering conditions.

Norris posted a session-best 1m27.489s on his final soft-tyre run, edging out team-mate Piastri by 0.024s after the Australian had previously led the way with a 1m27.513s. Both drivers dipped under last year’s pole time, underlining McLaren’s formidable pace ahead of qualifying.

The pair had trailed Max Verstappen briefly during the first runs, the Red Bull driver producing a 1m29.077s to displace Piastri. But McLaren quickly responded, with Piastri reclaiming the top spot before Norris vaulted back ahead with his fourth effort.

Mercedes’ George Russell emerged as the most credible challenger, climbing to third late in the session with a 1m28.214s – but that still left him 0.725s behind Norris. Verstappen improved on his final attempt to slot into fourth, 0.845s down, but logged fewer laps than rivals and reported issues with engine braking.

Ferrari once again lacked the one-lap pace to threaten the top, as Charles Leclerc was fifth, nearly nine tenths adrift and voicing concerns over the SF-25’s limits. Carlos Sainz was further behind and notably beaten by the impressive Williams of Alex Albon, who took sixth.

Yuki Tsunoda rebounded from his FP2 crash to take ninth after late repairs by his Red Bull crew, slotting between Albon and Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli. Tsunoda praised his team over the radio for their fast work in getting the RB21 ready in time.

Lewis Hamilton’s struggles continued, ending 12th in the second Ferrari after again failing to generate adequate grip on soft tyres. He trailed even RB's Isack Hadjar and finished 1.291s off Norris’ pace.

Qualifying in Jeddah begins at 8pm local time (5pm GMT), with McLaren now clear favourites to convert their dominant practice form into pole.