#F1 #ItalianGP #FP3: @LandoNorris pips @CharlesLeclerc by 0.021s.

Norris Italian GP FP3 – McLaren Lando Norris topped the final hour-long practice session at the Italian GP narrowly ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc as championship leader Oscar Piastri completed the top three in the other MCL39 entry.

Norris set the session-topping benchmark on the C5 red-marked softer compounds with a 1:19.331 to be a slim 0.021 seconds clear of Leclerc whilst Piastri was a further 0.165 seconds off his McLaren team-mate in third.

When the final hour-long practice session began, the first driver to hit the track was Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg on a set of the C4 yellow side-walled mediums.

The German was joined by Aston Martin pairing Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso who came out to scrub a set of tyres with both on the C3 white-marked harder compounds.

Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar also emerged on the hards to do likewise.

Both Stroll and Alonso then switched to a set of the mediums to do the same.

The Alpine duo of Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto and Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda all emerged six minutes into the session on a set of the C3 harder rubber.

Gasly was the first to register the benchmark of a 1:23.965, which was quickly beaten by team-mate Colapinto’s 1:22.736 then was ousted by Tsunoda’s three purple sectors to set a 1:21.876 to be 0.860 seconds faster than the Argentine.

At the tenth minute mark of proceedings, Piastri was joined by the two Ferrari’s, two Haas entries, two Williams and team-mate Norris.

Colapinto returned to the top posting a 1:21.834, then he was beaten once more by Tsunoda’s 1:20.775 effort following three purple sectors to be 1.049 seconds quicker than the Alpine driver.

Norris was next with three personal bests to be 1.061 seconds adrift of Tsunoda’s effort.

Hadjar followed to jump into second on his set of softs to be 0.277 seconds off of Tsunoda’s benchmark.

Hamilton then demoted Hadjar to third with his 1:20.953 flyer setting three personal bests as the Briton’s Ferrari team-mate Leclerc placed his SF-25 entry in fourth with his 1:21.142 whilst Sainz slotted into fifth to be 0.536 seconds off the Japanese driver’s effort.

Piastri then jumped into second with two purple final sectors to end up 0.177 seconds off Tsunoda after the latter improved with a purple final sector to on a 1:20.462.

Hamilton on his mediums was next with a purple sector one and two personal bests to jump into P1 briefly with his 1:20.332 effort but was beaten by Verstappen’s 1:20.040 hot-lap on the softs with two purple final sectors to end up 0.292 seconds quicker than the Ferrari driver.

Leclerc also on mediums, then got within 0.014 seconds of Verstappen with a purple sector one and two personal bests to set a 1:20.054 to end up second in the order.

Mercedes’ George Russell was next on the softs to jump into ninth with his 1:20.736 to end up 0.696 off Verstappen’s benchmark 24 minutes into the session.

Albon followed with three personal bests on the softs to set a 1:20.468 to move up into fifth behind Tsunoda as replays showed Leclerc suffer a snap through the Parabolica.

Hulkenberg was next with three personal bests to move up into third with a 1:20.311 whilst Verstappen was on another flying tour setting a 1:19.699 to go 0.366 seconds faster than Leclerc.

Hamilton with two personal best efforts put his Ferrari into third and 0.376 seconds off Verstappen’s effort and demoted Hulkenberg to fourth.

Russell was on another hot-lap on the softs and the Silver Arrows driver moved up into fourth then was relegated a spot by Albon’s 1:20.105 effort on the softs with both drivers 0.417 and 0.591 seconds respectively off Verstappen’s benchmark just past the half-an-hour mark of the session.

The two Ferrari’s of Hamilton and Leclerc emerged on the mediums once more as the former moved up into second on a 1:19.929 with a purple opening sector and a personal best sector three to be 0.241 seconds off Verstappen’s time-topper – Leclerc was unable to improve on his next flying lap on the mediums to remain third in the classification.

With 20 minutes remaining, the majority of drivers were in the pits adjusting their setups to prepare for a low-fuel qualifying simulation run on the C5 red side-walled softer tyres.

Albon jumped into third with his 1:19.981 on the C5’s to be 0.293 seconds off Verstappen’s time-topping effort.

Norris was next with setting a personal best sector one and two purples to go quickest on a 1:19.331 to be 0.357 seconds clear of Verstappen as Piastri also demoted the Dutchman with his 1:19.578.

Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto was up into third with his 1:19.645 but was rapidly demoted by Hadjar’s 1:19.603 following a purple sector one from the Frenchman who ended up 0.272 off Norris’s benchmark.

Russell was next setting three personal bests to split Hadjar and Bortoleto in fourth with his 1:19.637 effort to wound up 0.306 seconds adrift of Norris with less than 15 minutes left on the clock.

Tsunoda was next could only improve to 14^th on his qualifying simulation stint on the softs despite three personal bests.

Hadjar was unable to improve on his next flyer as Verstappen on his softs split Norris and Piastri to take second with a 1:19.513 with two personal bests to be 0.182 seconds off Norris.

Norris was next to do his hot-lap and was unable to improve as Piastri returned to second place in the order to be 0.165 off the former.

Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli improved to tenth whilst his team-mate Russell moved up into fourth to be 0.184 seconds off Norris’s benchmark effort.

Hamilton and Leclerc with their runs on the softs jumped to sixth and ninth respectively to be 0.267 and 0.463 seconds adrift off Norris.

Replays showed Leclerc suffered a wild moment dipping his left wheels into the gravel trap at the exit of the second Lesmo.

Albon with two personal bests jumped to eighth posting a 1:19.720 to end up 0.389 seconds off Norris whilst Sainz remained in 13^th and could not improve on his flyer on the softs.

Antonelli followed with two personal bests to take eighth and 0.365 seconds off.

Verstappen could only remain third with two personal bests whilst Leclerc with a purple sector one and two personal bests ended up a slim 0.021 seconds off Norris to demote Piastri and Verstappen to third and fourth respectively.

Russell was fifth ahead of Bortoleto who took sixth and Hamilton who ended final practice seventh for Ferrari.

Hadjar followed in eighth whilst Antonelli and Albon rounded out the top ten.

You can see the full Formula 1 Pirelli Gran Premio D’Italia 2025 Free Practice 3 Results Classification at the link: FORMULA 1 PIRELLI GRAN PREMIO D’ITALIA 2025 – PRACTICE 3

2025 F1 World Championship Standings