Hello and welcome to this Total Motorsport live blog for Free Practice 3 at the F1 2025 Monaco GP from Monte Carlo as teams and drivers make final preparations for the second Formula 1 race of the European season at the most iconic circuit in F1 history.
Charles Leclerc made it two-from-two on Friday in Monte Carlo as he topped both practice sessions, while Lewis Hamilton delivered a strong performance for Ferrari, ending up just over a tenth off his teammate’s time. Max Verstappen, who remained relatively under the radar throughout Friday, ended up ninth in the second session.
Total-Motorsport.com’s F1 2025 Monaco 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 Monaco GP unfolds live from the Principality.
F1 Monaco GP 2025 Free Practice 3 LIVE: Latest Updates
CHEQUERED FLAG: Leclerc tops FP3
Charles Leclerc continues his perfect weekend in Monte Carlo as the Ferrari driver tops FP3 ahead of qualifying, and worryingly, for his rivals, looks as though he has more time to spare.
However, disaster struck on the other side of the Ferrari garage as Lewis Hamilton crashed into the wall with minutes to go. Will he be able to shrug off the incident?
It’s beckoning to be an emphatic session later on Saturday, with three teams in the mix and potentially six drivers too.
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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.
Who will take pole for the F1 2025 Monaco GP? Find out with Total-Motorsport.com.
RED FLAG: Hamilton crashes out
Lewis Hamilton crashes out of FP3 at the F1 2025 Monaco GP with just a couple of minutes to go! A rare, rare mistake from the Brit.
He lost his car in Turn 3 when he had to catch a slide of oversteer, the impact was completely horizontal so there could be questions for the gearbox.
He had actually been looking good until that point, how will that impact his confidence ahead of qualifying?
Four minutes to go: Leclerc drops the hammer
Charles Leclerc now displaces Max Verstappen with a 1:10.953 to go to the top of the times at the Circuit de Monaco, his home track.
He’s now got a 0.280 and 0.294 gap to Verstappen’s Red Bull and Lando Norris’ McLaren behind.
Ferrari are the favourites.
Seven minutes to go: Mercedes completely anonymous
Mercedes are now opting for double cool-down laps in Monaco in a bid to let George Russell find a crumb of lap time at this challenging track.
The Silver Arrows are currently 10th (Antonelli) and 11th! They have not made an impression in this session at all.
It’s set up to be a shocking weekend for Brackley as things stand and Russell says he’s losing ideas.
10 minutes to go: Verstappen still king
Max Verstappen continues to lead thew timing boards in FP3 at the 2025 Monaco GP, but the chasing pack are close…
The Red Bull ace’s 1:11.233 on the mediums are closely followed by Piastri (0.172), Leclerc (0.211), Norris (0.246), Hamilton (0.283) and then Albon (0.435).
The weekend is building up to a crescendo as things stand in Monte Carlo.
Expect tyre management in qualifying
Drivers might have to manage their tyres throughout their qualifying laps, the softs seem as though they’re struggling a bit if they’re aggressively used up.
Notably those pushing in the first sector are then losing out in the second, so it might be a case of building up to make sure the tyres are in the right operating window.
The medium could be the key in qualifying.
15 minutes to go: Sainz backs up Albon’s pace
Alex Albon’s lap was no fluke as it turns out. Carlos Sainz joins his Williams teammate in the top six, 0.660 off the pace.
He’s behind Lewis Hamilton, Albon, Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen.
This could turn into one of the team’s finest weekends in recent years.
18 minutes to go: Williams look solid once again
Williams now find themselves back up in the top group as Alex Albon goes fourth fastest, just 0.435 back from Max Verstappen’s top time.
James Vowles’ team have been electric in recent weekends, could they be on for a huge result in qualifying later today?
They have an enjoyed a remarkable turnaround this year.
23 minutes to go: Three team fight for pole?
Max Verstappen continues to lead the way with a 1:11.233 ahead of Charles Leclerc by 0.224 and Lando Norris by 0.370.
Could we see a six-team fight between Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren? We wait to see if Yuki Tsunoda, Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri can get in on the mix.
Either way, three or six, it could be a quali classic at the Circuit de Monaco later this Saturday.
27 minutes to go: Impeding galore in Monaco
Oliver Bearman heads into the Rascasse corner (Turn 17) but finds Franco Colapinto in the way as he has to quickly duck out from behind the Alpine and abort his lap.
Then Lando Norris finds Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin in the way at Turn 3, although there wasn’t too much the Canadian could’ve done to move.
That’s part of the risk of this Monte Carlo circuit, and that’s why it’s absolutely critical to make sure laps are on the table nice and early.
30 minutes to go: Verstappen back on top in Monte Carlo
So far, any Red Bull changes to the set-up have worked wonderfully for Max Verstappen as the four-time world champion leaps to the top of the times with a 1:11.233 on the mediums, gapping Charles Leclerc by 0.299.
To put the lap into perspective, Lewis Hamilton is 0.643 off – despite having 104 career pole positions.
Is Verstappen back in the mix?
32 minutes to go: Red Bull vs Ferrari in Monaco
Charles Leclerc is once again top of the times, this time kicking Max Verstappen’s Red Bull off the summit with a 1:11.532 on the soft tyre. Verstappen is 0.121 back.
Then comes Lewis Hamilton (0.344) and Yuki Tsunoda (0.524).
Lando Norris is in fifth for McLaren, is there more to come from the Brit?
33 minutes to go: Heart-in-mouth moment for Hadjar
Isack Hadjar has a moment of deja vu in Monaco as he happens across Yuki Tsunoda going slowly in the famous tunnel portion of the track.
Fortunately, the Red Bull gets out of the way just in the nick of time and a big accident is avoided.
Hadjar complains it was dangerous, whilst Tsunoda admits it wasn’t ideal. There is no further investigation.
38 minutes to go: Sainz trips over Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton now finds himself in the way of Williams’ Carlos Sainz as the Ferrari heads out on a slow lap, forcing the man he replaced in Maranello to abandon his own in Turn 3.
It’s nothing too crazy, just your usual Monaco traffic, as the Brit says over the radio he tried to get out of the way.
There’s not a lot of room for two Formula 1 cars to go side-by-side at this narrow street circuit.
40 minutes to go: Leclerc on top
Charles Leclerc is picking up where he left off in Friday at the Circuit de Monaco, immediately hoping to the time of the timing boards with a 1:12.713 ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
The Ferrari driver has been absolutely on it this weekend and to say he seems quick is more than an understatement.
At this rate, he will be favourite for pole position.
42 minutes to go: 19 cars on track
Now everyone apart from George Russell are out on track in FP3 at the F1 2025 Monaco GP.
That includes Max Verstappen, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who are, of course, out championship protagonists.
44 minutes to go: Brief yellow flags for Hulkenberg
Nico Hulkenberg almost runs into the barriers at the final corner, locking up his front-right tyres at Turns 18 and 19.
Fortunately the Sauber driver keeps his car out of the wall, backs up and gets going again. He continues to lead the times.
“Not sure what happened there,” he quips over the radio to his engineer.
47 minutes to go: Eight cars on track now
Nico Hulkenberg leads the times with a 1:13.916 on the mediums ahead of Hadjar, Lawson, Colapinto, Bortoleto, Ocon with times on the board.
Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc are also out there too. Let’s see what Ferrari have to offer in FP3.
50 minutes to go: Alpine stay on top
Franco Colapinto was briefly deposed by Liam Lawson, but the man from Argentina is back at the summit of the times with a 1:15.013.
He’s 0.158 ahead of Lawson, whilst Isack Hadjar has also joined the circuit in the second Racing Bulls car. Still not too much life out there at the minute.
55 minutes to go: Colapinto sets early time
Franco Colapinto is trying to get up to speed in Formula 1 and he’s wasting little time before attacking this ancient and historic circuit.
The Argentinian puts in a 1:15.852 to top the early times for Alpine, ahead of Liam Lawson. Flavio Briatore will hope to see more of that.
GREEN FLAG: Lewis Hamilton hits the track as FP3 begins
Lewis Hamilton said he’s going to make minor changes to his Ferrari as the seven-time world champion heads out on the track to teat them out.
He was close to Charles Leclerc’s pace and needs a bit more lap time if he wants to compete for pole at the Circuit de Monaco. How will this session fare for him?
FP3 begins with two Racing Bulls joining him. It’s might soon be a busy track in Monte Carlo.
What to expect in FP3?
Teams have just the one hour of running time at the Circuit de Monaco in FP3 in Monte Carlo ahead of qualifying.
That proves a vital window for them to test any set-up changes they may have made overnight, as well as for the drivers to get their eyes locked in ahead of qualifying.
However, with the crucial qualifying session close, drivers may not push to the absolute limit as a big crash could prove disastrous.
Look for some long-run race pace work with Sunday’s two-stopper in mind, as well as some quali sims from the likes of Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri, and especially Max Verstappen after his tough FP2.
Welcome to the blog for FP3 at the 2025 Monaco GP
Will Charles Leclerc and Ferrari continue the surprising form they showed throughout Friday’s Free Practice sessions as the Monegasque star topped FP1 and FP2 before his home crowd?
A good sign for the Scuderia is that Lewis Hamilton was right there too, as he rounded out FP2 in third.
However, McLaren will look to respond in their unrelenting march to the Formula 1 titles and can Red Bull turn things around for Max Verstappen?
Find out here with Total-Motorsport.com.
Where to Watch 2025 Monaco GP FP3?
For viewers in the United States, 2025 Monaco GP Free Practice 3 will be shown on ESPN2, with streaming coverage via ESPN+.
In the UK, all sessions, including 2025 Monaco 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 Monaco GP?
Free Practice 3 for the 2025 Monaco GP begins at 12:30pm local time on Saturday in Monte Carlo. That means a similar start for F1 fans in the UK, where FP1 begins at 11:30am on Saturday morning.
Over in the USA, the 2025 Monaco GP FP3 session from Monte Carlo begins at 6:30am ET on Saturday morning, which means a very early morning 3:30am PT start for those on the West Coast.
