Monza FP3: 20 drivers in just one second

We’re talking about the final free practice, Monza FP3 session before qualifying, which is set to begin at 4:00 PM Italian time, following the F2 Sprint Race scheduled for 2:15 PM. Once again today, the cars hit the track under sunny skies and high temperatures, allowing the teams to fine-tune the final setup details ahead of the afternoon. F1 Monza, timetables for the most italian weekend

Interestingly, there were numerous mistakes in Turn 1 — not so much due to track grip, but because of a bothersome tailwind on the main straight. This wind was reducing the overall aerodynamic load, making braking and corner entry more unpredictable.

Today, McLaren once again proved to be extremely competitive, with the Norris–Piastri duo topping the timesheets. The Briton set the fastest lap in 1:19.331, just 21 thousandths ahead of Charles Leclerc, who clocked his best time in the final moments of the session. The other Ferrari, driven by Lewis Hamilton, finished in P7.

Max Verstappen, as always, was in the mix — securing P4 despite a Red Bull that still doesn’t seem at its best. Strong performance also from the two Saubers: Bortoleto and Hülkenberg finished P6 and P11 respectively, with the Brazilian just 227 milliseconds off Norris’ benchmark time.

Monza FP3, Mercedes struggling this weekend

The two Mercedes had an unremarkable performance, somewhat off pace and affected by issues that also troubled them yesterday: George Russell finished P5 and Kimi Antonelli P9. Notably, just one second separates all 20 drivers on the grid, ensuring a fiercely competitive qualifying session. Teamwork will be crucial to secure pole position, especially by using slipstreams to shave off precious tenths of a second.

At the 2024 Italian Grand Prix, pole was claimed by Lando Norris in the McLaren Mercedes with a time of 1:19.327. This put Norris ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri, who qualified second fastest. The 2025 free practice times are almost identical to last year’s pole time, making it likely that the record will be broken in just a few hours.

F1 Website: https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/live-coverage-third-practice-in-italy-2025.wuhXu9zMG483OlG26j2FH