Saudi Arabian Grand Prix – Free Practice 3: McLaren shines, Lando Norris leads, Verstappen and Hamilton fade away

McLaren surprises everyone

A new wind is blowing over the Corniche of Jeddah. Where Red Bulls or Ferraris were expected, it’s the McLarens that are making waves this late afternoon. Lando Norris sets the fastest time at 1:27.489, just ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri (+0.024). The two men continually responded to each other in a fraternal duel that promises great things for the upcoming qualifications.

It’s Piastri who kicks off the action on soft tires midway through the session, setting an initial benchmark time of 1:28.605. But Norris takes over in the last ten minutes. Together, they are the only ones to go below the 1:28 mark. McLaren seems to have found the perfect balance on this fast and tricky circuit.

Verstappen sloppy, Russell limits the damage

On the Red Bull side, Max Verstappen did not seem at ease. Long out of the running, he only managed a 1:28.334 at the end of the session, 845 thousandths behind Norris. A flattering fourth place considering the lack of pace displayed until his final attempt. The Red Bull, struggling in tight corners, seemed unstable, forcing the three-time world champion to make some strong corrections.

At Mercedes, George Russell limits the damage with a solid 3rd time, even though he concedes more than six-tenths. An encouraging performance in a weekend where the German star is still struggling to stabilize. But the warning remains serious: Lewis Hamilton, on his side, never found any grip. The message is blunt, the finding cruel. Lewis Hamilton finishes 12th on soft tires, after cutting the track to try to save a Ferrari that slips at every corner. Nothing is going right for the seven-time world champion, even more behind than in the first two sessions. Powerless, he moves up just one place on his fast attempt.

Ferrari, as a whole, did not reassure. Carlos Sainz finished in an anonymous 7th place, and Charles Leclerc never made it into the top 5 of the session. The Prancing Horse seems to lack grip on long supportive corners and stability under braking, two key elements in Jeddah.

The others: Tsunoda at a standstill

Yuki Tsunoda did not take part at the beginning of the session. His car, damaged during his crash in FP2, required lengthy repairs. He was only able to join the track at the very end of the session, without being able to stand out.

The result of Free Practice 3 of the 2025 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix: