British GP: Leclerc puts Ferrari back on top in red-flagged FP3

The final practice session for the 2025 British Grand Prix at Silverstone delivered a thrilling prelude to Saturday’s qualifying, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc setting the pace in a session marked by two red flags and razor-thin margins at the top.

With just 0.108 seconds separating the top four drivers, the stage is set for an intense battle for pole position later today.

Leclerc emerged ahead of a five-way fight for supremacy, edging out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in the final minutes before chaos and red flags struck. Lando Norris was fourth while Lewis Hamilton looked poised to join the leaders but was thwarted by a debris-induced stoppage late in the hour.

• British Grand Prix Free Practice 3 - Results

The session began cautiously, delayed slightly by track cleanup to clear marbles left by support categories. For the first 10 minutes, Alpine drivers Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon had the circuit largely to themselves, using the time to validate overnight setup changes aimed at improving their car’s balance.

Their early laps provided a baseline, but it was Hamilton who broke the silence, posting a 1m27.351s on soft tires to set the initial benchmark.

As the session progressed, Hamilton improved further to a 1m26.529s, signaling Mercedes’ intent to challenge for the front. Leclerc soon responded, edging out Hamilton by a mere 0.035 seconds with a 1m26.494s, showcasing Ferrari’s strong pace.

Verstappen slotted into second, just 0.005 seconds off Leclerc’s time, while McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri struggled initially to match their promising Friday pace from FP2. The McLarens, fueled for longer runs, focused on consistency early on, which kept them slightly off the leading pace in the opening exchanges.

Mid-Session Surge and McLaren’s Comeback

As the session approached the halfway mark, Leclerc raised the bar again, posting a blistering 1m25.922s, a statement of intent from the Ferrari driver.

Verstappen, despite battling traffic and expressing frustration over his brake bias settings, responded with a lap just 0.223 seconds slower, keeping Red Bull in contention.

Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli showed flashes of brilliance with a strong first sector, but his lap faded, while teammate George Russell found his rhythm, slotting into second overall, albeit 0.2 seconds behind Leclerc.

The McLaren duo began to find their form as the session progressed. On a fresh set of soft tires, Norris posted a 1m25.606s, briefly claiming the top spot, only for Piastri to edge him out by a mere 0.04 seconds.

Verstappen, leveraging the low-downforce setup of his RB21, split the McLarens with a time just 0.019 seconds off Piastri’s benchmark. The Red Bull excelled in the opening sector and on Silverstone’s long straights but struggled to maintain minimum speeds through the high-speed corners like Maggotts and Becketts.

Late Drama and Red Flags

With just over 10 minutes remaining, Leclerc reclaimed the lead with a 1m25.498s, reinforcing his status as the driver to beat.

Hamilton, looking to set up a tantalizing five-way fight for pole, began a promising lap but was thwarted when a red flag was triggered by debris—a piece of Oliver Bearman’s floor that had detached and littered the track.

The session resumed with just four minutes left, but any hopes of a final flying lap were dashed when Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto suffered a dramatic crash.

Losing control due to a snap of oversteer through the high-speed Maggotts and Becketts complex, Bortoleto’s car veered into the gravel, snapping its suspension and prompting a second red flag that ended the session prematurely.

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