Hello and welcome to this Total Motorsport live blog for Free Practice 3 at the F1 2025 Canadian GP from Montreal, with teams and drivers having one last chance to refine setups and evaluate race strategy.
George Russell capped off a turbulent Friday at the Canadian Grand Prix by topping the timesheets in FP2, giving Mercedes a much-needed boost with rookie Kimi Antonelli also finishing third. Lando Norris split the Silver Arrows in second as drivers continued to battle rear grip issues and traffic at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Meanwhile, Max Verstappen topped the timesheets in a lively first practice session for the 2025 Canadian Grand Prix, as Charles Leclerc’s crash brought out the red flag and Williams stunned with a strong early showing.
Total-Motorsport.com’s F1 2025 Canadian GP live updates for Free Practice 3 will offer fans unparalleled insight into team strategies, reliability concerns, and potential frontrunners. So stay tuned with us as FP3 at the F1 2025 Canadian GP unfolds live from Montreal.
F1 Canadian GP 2025 Free Practice 3 LIVE: Latest Updates
CHEQUERED FLAG: Norris tops times
Lando Norris responds for McLaren after a tough Friday afternoon by topping FP3 ahead of qualifying, putting him in a good sport to take pole position later today.
His 1:11.779 was enough to just pip Charles Leclerc to the top spot, ahead of George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen – the Red Bull driver just 0.273 off the top.
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It could be a six-driver and three-team fight for pole, so you won’t want to miss it! Get live updates here from Total-Motorsport.com from 16:00 local time in Montreal.
One minute to go: Charles Leclerc in the mix too
Charles Leclerc gets himself up to second in the order and just a fractional 0.078 off time set by Lando Norris.
He’s in the battle for pole position on that basis, and he also wasn’t happy with his own lap – bemoaning a series of mistakes.
Is there more to come from the man from Monaco?
Three minutes to go: Tsunoda in trouble
Yuki Tsunoda is absolutely nowhere for Red Bull at the moment. He’s square last and 1.774 seconds off the pace.
He’s also been noted for a red flag infringement, which could be a grid-drop penalty for the driver.
His Red Bull career seems to be lunging from bad to worse.
Seven minutes to go: McLaren vs Mercedes vs Ferrari?
Not a lot splits Lando Norris from George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, so could we be witnessing a three-team fight for pole position later today?
Max Verstappen could also get himself into the mix too, and Charles Leclerc should never be counted out of the battle.
This could be a thriller at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
12 minutes to go: Bearman strikes the wall!
Oliver Bearman strikes the Wall of Champions in a very similar manner to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri but manages to avoid any lasting damage after losing the rear of his Haas.
He’s currently 13th and a second off of Lando Norris’ table-topping time, and ahead of his teammate, Esteban Ocon.
14 minutes to go: McLaren finally turn up to FP3
Lando Norris finally goes to the top of the timing boards with a 1:11.799 to beat George Russell’s Mercedes by 0.151, with Lewis Hamilton in third and 0.215 back.
Then comes Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc.
Kimi Antonelli just went ninth-fastest and a second off-the-pace.
20 minutes to go: Lewis Hamilton in the mix too
Lewis Hamilton goes second-fastest on the medium tyre for Ferrari, trailing George Russell’s new 1:11.950 by 0.329 in Canada.
Lando Norris is third and 0.425 off, then comes Max Verstappen, Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc.
Let’s see how the times shake up as the clock ticks down to zero.
25 minutes to go: George Russell leads for Mercedes
McLaren are not looking the dominant package they typically do at this Canadian GP weekend, as George Russell now goes to the top of the pile for Mercedes.
The Brit’s 1:12.329 is more than good enough to clear Charles Leclerc by half a second, and Lando Norris by just 0.046. It’s touch-and-go, but it seems as though it’s Mercedes vs McLaren this weekend.
However, Max Verstappen isn’t too far away. He’s 0.141 off the pace in the Red Bull and third, which isn’t a huge margin around the entire lap.
You’re looking at an extra 0.010 per corner.
31 minutes to go: GREEN FLAG: Back in action in Canada
The debris has been cleared up from Nico Hulkenberg and Oscar Piastri’s separate incidents at the Wall of Champions and now we’re back in action again in Canada.
Fortunately for Piastri and McLaren, Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz reports there is no serious damage and the Australian can get back into the session soon.
Will that impact his confidence in qualifying?
RED FLAG with 36 minutes to go
The FIA have red-flagged this FP3 session at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve to allow the marshals to dash around and clear up the debris safely. Not only did Oscar Piastri hit the Wall of Champions, Nico Hulkenberg did the same just a few moments later in the Sauber!
A big spin for the German saw his rear-wing kiss the wall, leaving him with some damage on the end plate. That could’ve been so much worse.
38 minutes to go: Oscar Piastri hits the wall!
Our world championship leader has found the Wall of Champions as Oscar Piastri’s rear-right tyre tags the barriers on the exit of the corner, leaving him with a puncture.
He’s crawling back to the pits very slowly but there could be damage to the floor of his McLaren if he isn’t careful, which could be very costly in qualifying.
He’s currently running in eighth in the order.
40 minutes to go: Ferrari leading the way
Charles Leclerc is pushing on for the Scuderia on the medium tyres as he tops the timing boards with a 1:12.843 for Ferrari.
He’s trying to make up for a crash in FP1 that caused him to miss FP2 on Friday.
He’s leading both Aston Martins of Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll, could the Canadian be on for a big result at his home race?
45 minutes to go: Colapinto under pressure
Franco Colapinto was already put into the Alpine Formula 1 car just three weekends ago but he already finds his seat at risk after struggling to impress in his stint with the team.
Now in Canada, he just about manages to scoop up a rear snap to keep his expensive racing car out of the famous Wall of Champions to continue on in FP3.
Flavio Briatore might have raised an eyebrow at that one.
48 minutes to go: Gasly on top
Charles Leclerc’s time doesn’t stand for very long as Oliver Bearman wastes no time beating it by 0.173, before Pierre Gasly then goes almost half-a-second quicker on the softs with a 1:14.424.
The gap between the Alpine and Haas is now over four tenths of a second in Montreal.
50 minutes to go: Leclerc to the top of the times
Charles Leclerc is the first of the big hitters to go to the top of the timing boards with a 1:15.004 on the medium tyre, as he works on his race pace after missing FP2 on Friday.
None of the other McLarens, Ferraris, Red Bulls or Mercedes cars are out there yet, they want to protect their tyres ahead of qualifying.
GREEN FLAG: The clock is ticking
The track is open in Canada but so far, nobody is out on the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve save for Lance Stroll, Fernando Alonso and an Alpine.
The Canadian Aston Martin driver is looking to make up for lost time after his early FP2 crash on Friday.
Otherwise? It’s a typical slow start to Saturday in F1.
Is Max Verstappen in the mix this weekend?
Can Max Verstappen pull off another upset to beat the McLarens in this 2025 Formula 1 season?
The Dutchman needs a big result to keep his dwindling championship dreams alive.
He will be gunning for pole, but first up is FP3.
The scene for today’s action…
The Circuit Gilles Villeneuve is the setting for today as Formula 1 continues its weekend in Canada, being welcomed into Montreal by passionate fans.
The track is named after the legendary driver, who raced for McLaren and Ferrari before dying in an accident at the 1982 Belgian GP.
His son, Jacques, went on to become world champion in 1997, beating Michael Schumacher to the prize for Williams.
Huge session for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc
Charles Leclerc missed all of FP2 after crashing into the wall in FP1, meaning he has a lot of work to do to find some pace in Canada.
Can the Monegasque driver respond at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve?
Welcome to the blog!
For the first time in this 2025 Formula 1 season, McLaren find themselves on the back foot after FP2, with Mercedes’ George Russell beating Lando Norris to top spot whilst Oscar Piastri was nearly half-a-second off the pace.
Can Piastri, the championship leader, respond? Will Andrea Stella’s team find the pace they need or is it turning into an excellent weekend for the Silver Arrows?
Where to Watch 2025 Canadian GP FP3?
For viewers in the United States, 2025 Canadian GP Free Practice 3 will be shown on ESPNU, with streaming coverage via ESPN+.
In the UK, all sessions, including 2025 Canadian GP FP3 are available on Sky Sports F1. And fans in Australia can catch all the action on Fox Sports 506, Kayo Sports, and Foxtel.
What time is FP3 at the 2025 Canadian GP?
Free Practice 3 for the 2025 Canadian GP begins at 12:30pm local time on Saturday in Montreal. That means an early evening start for F1 fans in the UK, where FP3 begins at 5:30pm on Saturday.
Over in the USA, the 2025 Canadian GP FP3 session begins at 12:30pm ET on Saturday afternoon, which means a 9:30am PT start for those on the West Coast.
