Singapore GP – FP3: Verstappen tops incredibly tight final practice

Max Verstappen topped a fiercely competitive final practice session at the Singapore Grand Prix, setting the pace in a red-flag-interrupted hour that ended with the top five drivers separated by just 0.089s!

The Dutchman’s 1m30.148s lap for Red Bull narrowly beat McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by 0.017s, underscoring the razor-thin margins gripping the grid this weekend.

With qualifying looming under the floodlights this evening, the session's daytime glare offered a sneak peek at the one-lap showdowns to come.

• Singapore Grand Prix Free Practice 3 - Results

McLaren lead early, Verstappen strikes late

McLaren’s Lando Norris was the early benchmark in the session, setting a 1m31.021s on medium tyres in the first quarter of the session.

His lap stood for much of the opening phase as teams dialled in one-lap pace on the evolving circuit, with Verstappen and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton coming closest to dislodging him on the yellow-walled compounds – the pair clocking 1m31.358s and 1m31.448s respectively.

Although conditions were unrepresentative of those expected for qualifying, most teams still prioritised short-run pace, knowing that grid position is crucial on the tight Singapore streets.

Once the soft tyres came out, the times tumbled. Andrea Kimi Antonelli was the first driver into the 1m30s bracket with a 1m30.760s, before Charles Leclerc, Norris, and finally Verstappen each took turns at the top.

Piastri came agonisingly close to dethroning the Red Bull driver on his final run, underlining McLaren’s momentum as the team eyes back-to-back constructors’ titles.

Russell rebounds, midfield closes in

George Russell recovered from his “weird” FP2 crash to post the third-fastest time, just 0.049s off Verstappen, though the Mercedes driver admitted he was still lacking confidence in Turn 16. Behind him, Antonelli and Norris remarkably shared identical lap times of 1m30.237s to fill fourth and fifth.

Carlos Sainz, rookie Isack Hadjar, Hamilton, and Nico Hülkenberg rounded out the top nine — a group representing seven different teams within half a second. It was a welcome sign of competitiveness ahead of qualifying, with Haas, Aston Martin, and Alpine slightly adrift of the leading pack.

Lawson crash brings red flag, Hamilton under scrutiny

The session was briefly halted after 15 minutes when Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson clipped the kerb on the Turn 7 exit and lost control, slamming into the outside wall. The impact damaged the front wing and suspension, leaving his mechanics facing a frantic repair job to prepare the car for qualifying.

Meanwhile, Hamilton’s afternoon may not be over just yet — the Ferrari driver is under investigation for a possible red-flag infringement during the stoppage.

As the sun set on final practice, Verstappen’s narrow edge over Piastri and Russell suggested that qualifying could be one of the closest of the season — with just hundredths of a second likely to decide who conquers Singapore’s most unforgiving circuit.

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