Monaco Grand Prix – Free Practice 3: Charles Leclerc still sets the fastest time

Last rehearsal before the most anticipated qualifiers of the season. The last moment to get as close to the walls as possible, pushing the limit. Without exceeding it. Be careful not to get caught out. An accident could jeopardize the qualification. The start of the session is calm: after 10 minutes, only 4 drivers have completed a lap, and at a slow pace.

The favorites to win

Ferrari and McLaren are on soft tires. And it’s indeed Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris who are battling. They take turns recording the best time, trading tenths of a second. After a successful day yesterday, the Monegasque driver seems to be continuing his momentum. The Ferrari appears easy to drive.

Piastri, Hamilton and the Mercedes are trailing in this first half-hour of the session. They are several tenths off the top of the timesheet. Piastri is clearly lacking confidence at the wheel of his McLaren, he is only 8th halfway through the session.

Conversely, Max Verstappen is showing great speed on yellow tires. This proves that the red compound is not the only option. A headache is brewing regarding the tires. Yuki Tsunoda also ranks 2nd behind his Dutch teammate. Red Bull is doing interesting work on the medium compound.

Mercedes in trouble

At mid-session, neither George Russell nor Andrea Kimi Antonelli are able to place at the front. They are 7th and 9th respectively. The two drivers are struggling in the slow corners of the principality’s circuit. The car also has difficulty absorbing the curbs. A complicated Saturday. Russell and Antonelli are unable to exploit the potential of their car in Monaco.

Fast Williams

« The car gives me a good feeling » declared Carlos Sainz on the radio, 10th mid-session with his Williams. His teammate, Alex Albon, is 5th on the timesheet. A very good Saturday morning for the Grove team, in line with the recent Grand Prix races. Without having the best performance, the Williams handles slow corners well and absorbs the curbs. This is promising.

Last rehearsal

Charles Leclerc pushes again with his worn softs and manages to improve his lap by a few thousandths. Everyone waits for the last seconds of this final practice session to switch to a set of new tires and thus take advantage of the most rubbered-in track.

Piastri finally puts everything together and takes the 2nd fastest time, less than 2 tenths behind Verstappen. Another driver in the battle. Charles Leclerc regains the best time on new red tires. There are 6 minutes left of practice before qualifying.

Lando Norris falls 0.068 short of Leclerc, placing behind Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc.

The Monegasque driver improves by 2 tenths. The Ferrari seems easy to drive. Leclerc also seems very comfortable.

The session is halted by a red flag caused by Lewis Hamilton. The Briton hit the barrier at Massenet. End of session. No one will improve. Charles Leclerc retains the top spot on the timesheets. This is the first time this season that a driver has set the fastest time in all three free practice sessions.

Meet at 4 p.m. for the qualifying session.

The ranking of Free Practice 3