Lando Norris was once again quickest in Spielberg to put his McLaren top of the Austrian GP 2025 Free Practice 3 results, just ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri, with Max Verstappen in the Red Bull third fastest in the third and final practice session of the F1 weekend.
The McLaren star posted a 1m 04.324s to lead teammate Piastri and Red Bull rival Verstappen in a final practice hour that promises an unpredictable qualifying showdown. Norris beat Verstappen’s early time by more than a tenth of a second, this time on soft tyres
F1 Austrian GP 2025 FP3 results
Check out the full Austrian GP 2025 Free Practice 3 results from the third practice session in Spielberg below.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:04.324 |
| 2 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.118 |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | +0.210 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.250 |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.466 |
| 6 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.694 |
| 7 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.729 |
| 8 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +0.738 |
| 9 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing | +0.815 |
| 10 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber | +0.858 |
| 11 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +0.858 |
| 12 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +0.919 |
| 13 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber | +0.959 |
| 14 | Alexander Albon | Williams | +0.990 |
| 15 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +1.002 |
| 16 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | +1.042 |
| 17 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1.042 |
| 18 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | +1.195 |
| 19 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | +1.222 |
| 20 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +1.699 |
After a Friday that saw McLaren assert themselves as the team to beat with new upgrades, the field returned to the Red Bull Ring determined to fine-tune their setups. Max Verstappen, working with a stand-in race engineer this weekend, was among the first to set a flying lap, but his effort on hard tyres was well off the leading pace.
As the Dutchman tried to push harder, he reported that “the car is a bit nervous getting back on throttle” and complained it felt “a bit snappy” as he worked to cut down his lap times.
McLaren continued to impress as Norris beat Verstappen’s early time by more than a tenth of a second, this time on soft tyres. Track limits quickly became a talking point, with multiple drivers including Franco Colapinto and both Ferrari cars forced to abort laps after running wide at Turn 1.
More from the Singapore GP
Catch up with Total Motorsport's latest Singapore GP coverage, including Max Verstappen's victory at Marina Bay, Ferrari's costly strategy gamble, the full race classification, and the updated 2026 Formula 1 Drivers' and Constructors' Championship standings.
As the session settled in, Norris remained at the top, with Lewis Hamilton and George Russell sitting several tenths behind their fellow Brit.
Track Limits and Gravel Traps Test the Drivers
With half the session gone, everyone had set a time, but many continued to wrestle with the demanding layout. In his attempt to close the gap to his teammate, Piastri pushed too hard and rattled over the gravel at Turn 9, prompting him to ask his engineers for a floor check. He was able to avoid any major damage, but remained more than half a second off Norris as the final minutes ticked away.
Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar spun at the final corner after dropping a wheel in the gravel, bringing out a brief yellow flag before recovering and sheepishly apologising over the radio. Norris himself abandoned a lap after running wide over the kerbs, but his earlier time remained untouched.
As the clock expired, it was Norris leading a McLaren 1-2, just 0.108s clear of Piastri. Verstappen slotted into third, having spun in the closing stages but still edging out the improved Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Russell and Kimi Antonelli were close together for Mercedes in sixth and seventh, with Lance Stroll putting in another strong showing for Aston Martin.
The top ten was rounded out by Yuki Tsunoda for Red Bull and rookie Gabriel Bortoleto for Sauber. Further back, Fernando Alonso finished 12th, just behind Liam Lawson. The Williams pair of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz finished 14th and 15th, with Haas’ Ollie Bearman in 16th.
At the rear, Pierre Gasly, Esteban Ocon, Hadjar, and Colapinto all struggled to find rhythm, but will hope to bounce back in Qualifying, which starts at 16:00 local time.
Norris and Piastri admitted on Friday they expected Verstappen to close the gap, but the McLarens remain the team to beat heading into the all-important Saturday afternoon session.
