Oscar Piastri led a strong McLaren charge in the final practice session (FP3) for the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix. He finished just 0.032s ahead of teammate Lando Norris. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc took third despite a minor mistake on his flying lap.
McLaren Leads the Way Again
The McLaren drivers were among the first to head out, hoping to build on their earlier FP1 and FP2 dominance. However, they returned to the pits without setting any timed laps. The session had a slow start, with real action beginning in the final 15 minutes.
Once things picked up, Piastri delivered a superb lap in the 1m 14s range. Norris came close but fell short by just 0.032s after a strong final sector.
Leclerc Shows Pace Despite Error
Leclerc briefly topped the session after going purple in the first two sectors. But he ran wide at Turn 12, dipping a wheel into the gravel and losing time. His effort was still fast enough for third, 0.266s behind Piastri.
Midfield Surprise: Bortoleto Impresses
Gabriel Bortoleto continued his strong form for Kick Sauber. The rookie took P9, outperforming teammate Nico Hulkenberg. Kimi Antonelli claimed fifth for Mercedes, while Fernando Alonso recovered from a back issue to finish sixth.
Alex Albon endured a tough session. After running over the kerbs, he ended up at the bottom of the timesheets and told his team to inspect the floor.
Red Bull’s Struggles Continue
Max Verstappen only managed P12 after briefly going fastest earlier. He struggled with balance and said, “You try to fix the rear and it ploughs into understeer.” Teammate Yuki Tsunoda also had issues and ended near the back.
Traffic and Spins Disrupt Runs
Many drivers dealt with traffic during their flying laps. Isack Hadjar called out Norris for blocking and later spun into a run-off area. His mistake brought out yellow flags. Other drivers like Carlos Sainz and Liam Lawson also failed to get clean laps.
What’s Ahead?
McLaren looks strong heading into Qualifying. Ferrari and Mercedes remain competitive, while Red Bull searches for answers. Qualifying kicks off at 1600 local time.
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