Lando Norris tops last free practice session in Canada

Photo: McLaren

14. 06. 2025 19:40 CET
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Lando Norris tops last free practice session in Canada

Tereza Hořínková

Tereza Hořínková

News.GP journalist specialising in F1 and MotoGP

Formula 1 f1 f12025season f1canada f1saturday reports

McLaren’s Lando Norris topped the timesheets during the third and final practice session in Montreal, followed by Charles Leclerc and George Russell.

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Final practice ahead of qualifying in Montreal gave teams one last chance to fine-tune their setups, and it was McLaren’s Lando Norris who ended the session on top after a late push on soft tyres.

Aston Martin was quick to get going, with both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll taking to the track in the opening minutes to run in a set of tyres. For Stroll, it was an important return after his Friday session was cut short by contact with the wall in FP2.

Charles Leclerc was also among the early runners, back in action after Ferrari rebuilt his car using a spare chassis following his heavy crash in FP1. With no chance to drive in FP2, Leclerc used the early laps on medium tyres to get comfortable and check that the car was behaving as expected.

Leclerc looked sharp from the start and went fastest within the first ten minutes, setting a 1:12.843, over two-tenths clear of Alonso. The Aston Martin driver had a minor off at the final chicane, reporting rear-end instability. Not long after, Oscar Piastri ran wide at the same corner and tapped the Wall of Champions, damaging his McLaren’s rear-right and causing a puncture. Just after that, Nico Hulkenberg had spun at the final turn, brushing both ends of his Sauber. Debris brought out a red flag as marshals cleared the track

Once running resumed, George Russell found early speed and rose to the top of the leaderboard with a strong lap on soft tyres, just ahead of Norris on mediums. Max Verstappen was further down the order, while rookie Isack Hadjar briefly surprised by going sixth fastest on softs, ahead of the lead Red Bull.

Elsewhere, Alex Albon had an off-track moment at Turn 8, saying the car felt noticeably different compared to earlier runs. As the session wore on, Russell improved again on medium tyres, extending his lead over the field. Teammate Lewis Hamilton slotted into second for a time, also on mediums, as Mercedes looked strong on race-trim pace.

A close call occurred between Alonso and Haas stand-in Oliver Bearman, who almost tangled while heading into the final chicane. Bearman was following Norris closely when Alonso moved across to prepare for a flying lap. Although the two avoided contact, the moment was noted by officials.

Hadjar then spun at Turn 2 but managed to rejoin safely. A few minutes later, Bearman had his own off at the final corner, sliding into the TecPro barriers after the rear stepped out. Thankfully, his car didn’t suffer major damage.

In the final ten minutes, drivers switched focus to qualifying runs. Norris delivered a strong lap on fresh soft tyres to go fastest with a 1:11.799. Leclerc responded late, moving into second place just 0.078 seconds behind the McLaren. Russell ended the session third, with Hamilton fourth, keeping Mercedes firmly in the fight. Verstappen improved to fifth, while Alonso completed the top six. Antonelli, Piastri, Sainz, and Albon rounded out the top ten.

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Tereza Hořínková

Tereza is a dedicated sports journalist and mass media student, who has been passionate about the motorsport world since young age. Her work focuses on the stories on and off the track, while making motorsport feel accessible and exciting for every kind of fan.

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