FP3: Hamilton dominates at Monza, Mercedes locks top spots

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Lewis Hamilton showcased his prowess in the third and final practice session ahead of the Italian Grand Prix, leading a Mercedes one-two with teammate George Russell. The successful run comes on the same day the team made headlines by announcing Kimi Antonelli as Russell's partner for the 2025 season.

Chaos marked Friday’s practice sessions, with red flags disrupting both after incidents involving Antonelli and Kevin Magnussen. Drivers returned with renewed focus for FP3 at 12:30 local time, aiming to fine-tune their setups ahead of the crucial qualifying session.

Teams began the session with various tire strategies. Many opted for hard tires to gather data, a compound previously used only by Yuki Tsunoda. Magnussen, on the other hand, went straight to soft tires to compensate for his limited FP2 laps. It was Max Verstappen, however, who initially set the pace on medium tires.

George Russell, gunning for lost time after damage repairs from Antonelli’s FP1 crash, quickly set the fastest lap on mediums. His time at the top was short-lived as track conditions improved and times tumbled.

Charles Leclerc thrilled the Tifosi by briefly leading with a lap of 1m 20.614s, setting a trend as soft-tire laps rolled in. The tight competition was evident, with the top five separated by just over a tenth and a half of a second. Alex Albon underscored the fine margins by seizing P1 from Leclerc by a mere 0.018s.

Controversy arose during the second run of flying laps involving Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, and Daniel Ricciardo. Leclerc had to take evasive action to avoid a McLaren, causing a moment of drama as he brushed the grass.

Final Standings

Hamilton reclaimed P1 with a blistering lap of 1m 20.117s, narrowly beating Russell by 0.093s. Leclerc ended third, followed by McLaren’s dynamic duo – Piastri and Lando Norris. Verstappen, plagued by handling issues, finished sixth.

FP3 Top 10:

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 1m 20.117s
George Russell (Mercedes) +0.093s
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.100s
Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
Lando Norris (McLaren)
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
Alex Albon (Williams)
Franco Colapinto (Williams)
Nico Hulkenberg (Haas)

Fernando Alonso clocked in at 11th for Aston Martin, followed by Ricciardo and Tsunoda. Pierre Gasly of Alpine and Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin filled the middle order.

Magnussen settled at 16th despite his limited running, finishing ahead of Esteban Ocon. Concerns loomed for Haas as Magnussen’s car halted post-session. Sergio Perez underperformed, only managing 18th, an unusual spot for the Red Bull driver.

Kick Sauber experienced a downturn from a promising Friday, with Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu trailing the pack, observed by former team driver Kimi Raikkonen.

With final practice wrapped up, attention shifts to the high-stakes qualifying session, where every millisecond will count.

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