F1 Results Today: Lewis Hamilton crashes out as McLaren and Red Bull beaten by…read more
F1 Results Today: Lewis Hamilton crashes out as McLaren and Red Bull beaten by…read more
The third and final practice session (FP3) ahead of the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix ended dramatically, as Lewis Hamilton crashed his Ferrari into the barriers, cutting the session a few minutes short with a red flag. This mishap adds further pressure on the seven-time world champion, who has shown flashes of speed this weekend but now faces an uphill battle ahead of qualifying.
Charles Leclerc once again proved his dominance on the streets of Monte Carlo, topping the timesheets for the third consecutive session. The Monegasque driver, racing in front of his home crowd, clocked a best time of 1:10.953, firmly establishing himself as the favourite for pole position. His consistent pace throughout the weekend has set a high benchmark for the rest of the field.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull followed closely behind, finishing just 0.280 seconds adrift of Leclerc. The Dutchman looked strong throughout the session, showing that Red Bull will be serious contenders despite not topping the times so far this weekend. Lando Norris continued McLaren’s competitive form by securing the third-fastest time, only 0.294 seconds off Leclerc, with his teammate Oscar Piastri in fourth, 0.445 seconds behind the leader.
Hamilton, who had looked relatively strong until his crash, did not set a final competitive time due to the incident, leaving his final position in the session marked as TBC. His teammate at Ferrari, Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, looks poised to challenge for victory if he can carry this form into qualifying and race day.
Williams had an encouraging session, with Alex Albon finishing sixth, showing that the team may be capable of scoring crucial points this weekend. Carlos Sainz, now driving for Williams, slotted into eighth, continuing his adaptation to his new team with a solid performance.
Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson impressed by placing seventh, while his teammate Isack Hadjar found himself in hot water after a controversial moment involving Yuki Tsunoda. Tsunoda, also under scrutiny for potentially impeding Hadjar in a particularly blatant moment of blocking, could face a grid penalty similar to the one handed to Lance Stroll on Friday.
Speaking of Tsunoda, the Red Bull driver showed decent pace and finished ninth overall, just inside the top ten. Rookie Kimi Antonelli completed the top ten in his Mercedes, ahead of teammate George Russell, suggesting the Silver Arrows may still be struggling for raw pace.
The rest of the field saw close gaps, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll in 12th and 15th, respectively. Kick Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto had a quiet session, finishing 13th and 19th. Pierre Gasly and Franco Colapinto represented Alpine at 14th and 20th, showing signs of continued difficulty for the French squad.
With Leclerc looking dominant, Verstappen lurking close behind, and midfield battles heating up, Saturday’s qualifying session is set to be one of the most unpredictable in rece
nt Monaco memory.
