Lando Norris quickest in Monza FP3 as Charles Leclerc lifts Ferrari hopes at home

Follow us on Google Discover

Norris put in another strong showing, finishing on top of the timing sheets for the second time this weekend. Now, all eyes are on whether he can carry that pace into qualifying.

Alpine confirmed before FP3 that Pierre Gasly has signed a contract extension that will keep him with the team until 2028. The announcement came amid ongoing questions about their second seat, with Franco Colapinto still struggling to make an impression.

READ MORE: Charles Leclerc targets third Ferrari win at Monza as Hamilton seeks first podium

Williams had a promising Friday, and Alex Albon sounded confident after FP2: “The cars are quick, and we had reasonable race pace today, so we’re in a good place.” He and Carlos Sainz were both near the sharp end of the order, with Sainz finishing third in both sessions.

Kimi Antonelli went into FP3 hoping for a clean run after ending up in the gravel during FP2. The Italian also crashed during practice for the Dutch Grand Prix and was looking to build some momentum ahead of qualifying.

Isack Hadjar is facing an investigation after reportedly failing to follow the race director’s instructions regarding track limits at the Variante chicane.

FP3 was extremely close, with less than a second covering Norris at one end of the field and Ocon at the other. It sets up what should be an unpredictable qualifying session later today.

Turn 1 sees Verstappen and Ocon go wheel-to-wheel

Max Verstappen found himself caught in traffic midway through the session, having to thread his way between a Sauber and Esteban Ocon’s Haas. Although he managed to get ahead into Turn 1, Ocon fought back immediately, reclaiming the position around the outside.

Verstappen was top of the timesheets at the halfway point, holding a three-tenth lead over the Ferrari drivers, who were separated by just 0.010. Albon was also near the front, sitting in fourth place behind Hamilton.

A tailwind at Turn 1 made it difficult for several drivers to handle the first chicane, with Piastri, Hamilton and Sainz all struggling early on. Both Colapinto and Bearman found themselves off track and into the gravel traps.

McLaren find pace late in session as teams get up to speed

McLaren kept their pace hidden until the closing stages, with Norris and Piastri jumping to the top of the timing sheets with 15 minutes left. Both drivers had spent most of the session further down before putting together quicker laps toward the end.

Norris led McLaren’s push at the start of soft tyre runs, while Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto looked quick as well, slotting into third behind Verstappen and Norris.

Charles Leclerc had a couple of major moments during the session but managed to avoid damage each time. He first caught a slide at Parabolica early on, then later kept it under control again after dipping into the gravel at Lesmo 2.

FP3 results for 2025 Italian Grand Prix