Lando Norris helped make it three 1-2s out of three for McLaren at Imola ahead of qualifying for the Formula 1 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.
The Brit’s 1:14.897s was enough to see him secure top spot in the final practice session, with Oscar Piastri – quickest in both sessions on Friday – exactly a tenth of a second behind.
Max Verstappen completed a more competitive session for Red Bull in third, around another tenth behind, with Andrea Kimi Antonelli, in his first home Grand Prix weekend, fourth with a 1:15.399s.
Charles Leclerc was fifth, closely followed by the Williams of Carlos Sainz in sixth. Leclerc’s team-mate Lewis Hamilton once again struggled, finishing up in 10th, nine tenths down on Norris’ time.
Isack Hadjar once again impressed in the Racing Bulls, finishing the session seventh after briefly topping the timesheets midway through.
After three practice sessions the betting on who would claim pole position was wild, even an online casino in Bangladesh got in on the action, suggesting that pole would go to someone other than one of the McLaren drivers, more wishful thinking than looking at the papaya cars’ pace on the iconic Italian track.
George Russell and Alex Albon helped complete the top 10, with Aston Martin providing a stronger showing via Fernando Alonso, who was just three hundredths down on Hamilton.
It was a mixed session for Red Bull, with Verstappen’s time somewhat clouded by Yuki Tsunoda finshing in 17th, his 1:16.110s nine tenths down on his team-mate.
Tsunoda complained of be unhappy with the car during the session, leaving Red Bull to help the Japanese driver find something in his package for qualifying.
Esteban Ocon’s difficult weekend continued, his 1:16.387s leaving him rooted to the foot of the order.
For Norris, the session must surely be a confidence-booster, as he looks to claw back the defecit to his team-mate this weekend, with the all-conquering MCL39 looking very strong once again.
READ MORE – F1 2025 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix – FP3 Results
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