FP3: Norris dominates final practice in Singapore
Lando Norris showcased an exceptional performance during the third and final practice session ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. The McLaren driver clocked the fastest lap, besting his nearest challenger, George Russell, by nearly half a second. Ferrari, however, appeared to be struggling to keep up with the leading pace.
During Friday’s practice sessions, Charles Leclerc and Norris were neck-and-neck at the top of the timesheets, leaving fans and teams wondering who would challenge them during FP3, which kicked off at 1730 local time. Initially, the track saw little action, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll being the first to venture out. They had an unexpected companion as a lizard wandered onto the circuit, leading to a brief red flag for safety reasons.
Once FP3 resumed, there was an influx of drivers heading out, most opting for medium tyres while Kick Sauber chose the soft compound. Oscar Piastri reported improved handling, setting the early pace, before Max Verstappen declared his RB20 was “much better” as he moved into P1.
Pierre Gasly narrowly avoided a collision with the wall after a dramatic moment in his Alpine, exclaiming, “Woah, that was close,” over the radio. Meanwhile, Alex Albon wasn’t as fortunate; his Williams clipped the barriers, necessitating a return to the garage for damage assessment.
As the session neared its halfway point, Leclerc topped the timesheets with a lap of 1m 31.525s, edging out Verstappen by a tenth. George Russell had a minor hiccup, running straight on at Turn 14.
The dynamic changed as most drivers switched to their soft-tyre runs. Russell initially took the top spot, but Piastri had a significant slide after taking too much kerb. Lando Norris then solidified his position, posting an impressive 1m 29.646s, almost half a second faster than Russell.
Ferrari’s struggles continued, with Carlos Sainz trailing Norris by 1.161s in sixth position. Leclerc aborted his first flying lap but managed to secure fifth place, 0.913s off Norris’ lap time.
Norris’ time stayed unchallenged as the session concluded, keeping him ahead of Russell and Piastri, who finished second and third respectively. Verstappen took fourth place, followed by Leclerc in fifth and Sainz in sixth.
Lewis Hamilton showed notable improvement from Friday, landing seventh place for Mercedes. The Williams duo, Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto, finished eighth and ninth, with Alonso completing the top ten.
Yuki Tsunoda placed his RB in P11, leading the Haas pair of Nico Hulkenberg and Kevin Magnussen, followed by Gasly and Red Bull’s Sergio Perez. Esteban Ocon settled for P16, with Daniel Ricciardo in P17 on a potentially pivotal weekend for the Australian driver. Stroll, Valtteri Bottas, and Zhou Guanyu rounded out the field.
With the final practice session concluded, all eyes now turn to the crucial qualifying session as teams and drivers gear up for an exciting race weekend in Singapore.
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