#F1 #AbuDhabiGP #FP3: @GeorgeRussell63 pips @LandoNorris by 0.004s.
George Russell, #63, Mercedes AMG Petronas Formula 1 Team, F1 W16, Free Practice 3, Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Image credit to Clive Mason/Getty Images. Russell Abu Dhabi FP3, Abu Dhabi GP FP3 Results, 2025 Abu Dhabi FP3, Formula 1 Abu Dhabi GP FP3 Results, F1 Abu Dhabi FP3.
Russell Abu Dhabi FP3 – Mercedes’ George Russell topped the final practice session of the season at the Abu Dhabi GP ahead of championship contenders Lando Norris and Max Verstappen who completed the top three. Oscar Piastri who is still in contention for the title was fifth in the other MCL39 entry.
Russell posted the session-topping benchmark of a 1:23.334 on the C5 red side-walled softer compound and was a very slim 0.004 seconds clear of Norris whilst Verstappen was a further 0.124 seconds off in third.
The Aston Martin pairing Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso were the first two to head out onto the Yas Marina Circuit with both drivers running the C3 white-marked harder tyres.
The Canadian and Spaniard both returned to the pits and switched to the C4 yellow-branded mediums and re-emerged on track.
Both Stroll and Alonso then made their way back to the pits and returned to their respective garage at the eighth minute mark of the session.
Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly were the next two to hit the circuit and with the C5 red side-walled softer compound.
Colapinto was the first driver to register the benchmark of a 1:26.591 and was beaten by team-mate Gasly’s 1:25.984 with three purple sectors to go to the top of the time-sheets.
Championship leader Lando Norris was next to venture out on the track with the C5’s at the 12th minute mark of proceedings along with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
Norris went quickest setting a 1:24.728 to go 1.256 seconds clear of Gasly whilst Leclerc then slotted into second with a 1:25.756 to go 1.028 seconds off the Briton’s best time.
Replays showed Norris have a bit of a lock-up into the turn five left-hand hairpin.
Gasly then jumped to second with a 1:25.491 as Haas’s Esteban Ocon ended up fifth in the order posting a 1:26.068.
Sir Lewis Hamilton then pushed his SF-25 entry to second setting a 1:25.159 to end up 0.431 seconds adrift of Norris.
With three personal bests Nico Hulkenberg placed his Sauber into fifth setting a 1:25.640 after Stroll went up into third with a 1:25.302 effort.
Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda with two purples jumped to second to be 0.165 seconds off Norris as Piastri slotted into third to be 0.400 seconds adrift of his McLaren team-mate.
Norris on his next flyer improved setting a 1:24.533 to be 0.360 seconds clear of Tsunoda at the top.
Leclerc with three personal bests jumped to second only briefly as Haas’s Oliver Bearman relegated the Ferrari driver to third with his 1:24.541 and ended up a very narrow 0.008 seconds off his fellow British-compatriot.
Replays showed Norris had a very close call with Red Bull’s Tsunoda in between turns 11 and 12.
Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto jumped to fourth but dropped to fifth as Verstappen topped the time-sheets posting a 1:24.245 to go 0.059 seconds faster than Stroll as Hamilton was demoted to third and was 0.225 off the Dutchman.
Leclerc with three personal bests moved up to fourth posting a 1:24.511 but was relegated to fifth after Bearman jumped to third to end up 0.086 off Verstappen’s benchmark.
Hamilton on his flying lap suffered a spin at turn nine pirouetting into the barriers and hitting the wall with the front of his car damaging his front wing and front-right suspension bringing out the red flag just past the halfway mark of the final hour-long practice session of the year.
When the session resumed with 17 minutes left on the clock, RB’s Lawson lead the field out on a set of the C4 mediums.
Williams’ Alexander Albon was noted for an unsafe release in the pits as the incident involving Tsunoda and Norris was currently being investigated by the stewards.
Verstappen improved on his flyer with three personal bests to post a 1:24.116 effort to end up 0.188 seconds clear of Stroll.
Stroll improved with a purple final sector to end up 0.004 seconds off Verstappen.
Piastri was next and with three purples shot to the top posting a 1:23.593 to end up 0.523 seconds ahead of the Dutchman.
Championship leader Norris was next with two personal bests and a purple sector three pipped his team-mate by 0.255 seconds at the top of the pile with a 1:23.338 with less than ten minutes remaining.
Hulkenberg then placed his Sauber third and 0.532 seconds down whilst Lawson slotted into fourth and 0.609 seconds adrift of Norris,
An incident in the pit-lane involving Antonelli and Tsunoda is also currently under investigated by the stewards.
Bortoleto with three personal bests jumped to fifth and was 0.741 seconds off Norris as Alonso with a purple sector one jumped to fourth with his 1:23.882 as Hadjar ended up seventh to be 0.641 seconds off Norris.
Ocon with a purple middle sector and two personal bests slotted into third posting a 1:23.605 to go above his team-mate Bearman as Leclerc placed seventh in the order.
Verstappen jumped to third overall despite a purple opening sector as Russell stormed to the top setting a 1:23.334 to be a very narrow 0.004 seconds clear of Norris.
Replays showed with the collision between Antonelli and Tsunoda – both cars were coming out of their respective garages. Tsunoda was released first, made it to the fast-lane and then Antonelli was released – and as he accelerated towards the quick lane, Tsunoda appeared out of his blind spot.
Antonelli made contact with the side of the RB21 entry towards the front, so whilst the Italian needed a new front wing, Tsunoda’s RB21 was carrying damage to the sidepod and floor.
Alonso with two personal bests moved up into fourth with a 1:23.585 to be 0.251 seconds adrift of Russell’s benchmark.
Verstappen on his final flyer improved slightly to end up 0.124 seconds off Russell’s best time at the end of the session.
The final FP3 session of the season ended with Russell on top with championship contenders Norris, Verstappen and Piastri in second, third and fifth respectively whilst Alonso took fourth in the order.
Haas duo Ocon and Bearman were next in sixth and seventh respectively with ending final practice eighth.
Antonelli and Albon completed the top ten runners.
You can see the full Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2025 Free Practice 3 Results Classification at the link: FORMULA 1 ETIHAD AIRWAYS ABU DHABI GRAND PRIX 2025 – PRACTICE 3
#F1 #AbuDhabiGP #FP2: @LandoNorris quickest ahead of title rival @Max33Verstappen by 0.363s.
#F1 #AbuDhabiGP #FP1: @LandoNorris pips championship rival @Max33Verstappen by 0.008s.
