Imola FP3: Norris leads, Soft tyre struggles hint at qualifying shocker

The final practice session ahead of qualifying for the FORMULA 1 AWS GRAN PREMIO DEL MADE IN ITALY E DELL'EMILIA-ROMAGNA 2025 has concluded, and if FP3 is anything to go by, we are in for a thrilling and unpredictable qualifying hour. Under warm and sunny Italian skies, with an air temperature of 22.2°C and a track temperature peaking at 42°C before settling to 38°C by the session's end, teams and drivers had one last chance to fine-tune their setups. While McLaren continued to show strong pace, with Lando Norris ultimately topping the timesheets, the session was far from straightforward, marked by numerous excursions into the gravel, a curious struggle with the softest tyre compound, and a tightening field that hints at potential upsets. Imola, a classic driver's track, certainly lived up to its reputation for punishing mistakes.

McLaren Lead the Way, But Not Without Drama

McLaren emerged from Friday's running as the team to beat, with Oscar Piastri impressively topping both FP1 and FP2. The papaya cars looked hooked up around the challenging Imola circuit, and that trend largely continued into Saturday's final practice. Lando Norris ultimately set the benchmark with a 1m 14.897s, a time just over a tenth shy of last year's pole position. His teammate, Oscar Piastri, secured second place with a 1m 14.997s, exactly a tenth behind Norris, demonstrating the finely balanced performance within the McLaren garage.

However, neither McLaren driver had an entirely smooth session. Both Norris and Piastri found themselves acquainted with the Imola gravel traps as they pushed the limits of their MCL60s. Piastri's trip was notable, occurring during a fast lap attempt, yet he still managed to put in a strong time even on seven-lap-old medium tyres later in the session to jump to second. The team had a brief period in the pits to dislodge some gravel from the Australian's car, a minor interruption in an otherwise strong showing. McLaren also appeared to be conducting some aerodynamic evaluations, with Norris's car sporting flow-vis paint on its rear wing early in the session, suggesting they are confident enough in their baseline setup to gather data for future races, particularly with high-downforce Monaco and low-downforce Barcelona on the horizon.

The pace of the McLarens is undeniable, but their susceptibility to small errors, shared by many others, underscores the knife-edge balance required to extract maximum performance around this old-school circuit.

The Soft Tyre Conundrum: A Qualifying Headache?

One of the most significant talking points to emerge from FP3 was the behaviour of the softest C6 compound tyre, brought by Pirelli for the first time this season alongside the C4 and C5. Logic would dictate that the softest tyre would be the undisputed king for qualifying simulations, but the reality proved more complex. Numerous drivers, including those at the sharp end, struggled to get the C6 rubber to perform optimally over a full flying lap.

The primary issue appeared to be overheating, particularly by the end of the lap. Drivers reported a noticeable loss of grip through the final sequence of corners, making it difficult to string together a perfect lap. The high kerbs, an ever-present hazard at Imola, only exacerbated the problem, unsettling the cars and making it even harder to maintain the racing line. This was evident when Verstappen and Piastri both made mistakes on their initial soft tyre runs, with Piastri dipping two wheels into the gravel. Piastri did improve to P3 later on a second soft tyre attempt, but was still nearly four tenths off his teammate's leading time, albeit on tyres that were not at their absolute best.

Intriguingly, several drivers set their best times on the medium compound. In fact, four of the top ten lap times, including Max Verstappen's P3 effort (1m 15.078s), were achieved on the yellow-sidewalled tyre. This raises a fascinating strategic question for qualifying. Will teams risk the potentially faster but more temperamental soft tyre, or could some opt for the more consistent medium, especially if they can only get one clean lap out of the C6? With most teams reportedly having only one set of new medium tyres left, which they would ideally save for the race, this tyre dilemma adds another layer of intrigue. The track temperature dropping slightly towards the end of the session, down to 38°C, didn't seem to alleviate the soft tyre struggles significantly. Qualifying could very well come down to who makes the fewest mistakes and who masters their tyre preparation.

Incidents and Surprises: Key Moments from FP3

The session was not short on action, with drivers frequently testing the limits and occasionally exceeding them.

Gravel Excursions Aplenty

Beyond the McLaren pair, several big names found themselves exploring the run-off areas. Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton, and George Russell all had moments where they ran wide and kicked up dust. Hamilton, in particular, was seen dipping a wheel into the gravel at the penultimate corner. These incidents, while minor, highlight how unforgiving Imola can be and serve as a warning for the higher-stakes qualifying session.

Lawson's Spin

Liam Lawson provided one of the session's more dramatic moments. Midway through FP3, the Racing Bulls driver had a full 360-degree spin, kicking up a significant amount of smoke and flat-spotting his medium tyres. Fortunately, he avoided contact with the barriers and was able to return to the pits, but it was a clear reminder of how quickly things can go wrong.

Tsunoda's Torment

Yuki Tsunoda, now with Red Bull Racing, endured a very difficult FP3. After a compromised Friday due to traffic in FP1 and a lack of outright pace in FP2, Saturday morning offered no respite. He languished down in P17, his fastest lap a 1m 16.110s. His frustration was palpable over the radio, with a stark "Zero grip" and "absolutely zero pace" assessment of his RB21's performance. Known for his strong performances at Imola from his AlphaTauri/RB days, his current struggles are a significant concern for the Milton Keynes outfit, leaving them with a busy lunchtime to find solutions. His predicament could open up a Q3 slot for a midfield runner.

Antonelli's Ascendance

Mercedes junior Kimi Antonelli, the local hero hailing from nearby Bologna, showed a significant step forward. After a somewhat muted Friday where he seemed to be building his rhythm, Antonelli jumped to an impressive P4 with ten minutes remaining, his best lap a 1m 15.399s on the medium tyres. This was a notable two and a half tenths quicker than his_Mercedes_ teammate George Russell, who finished P8 and voiced concerns about the car's ride height, noting it felt "a bit worse today."

Hadjar Shines for Racing Bulls

Isack Hadjar in the Racing Bulls car was another standout performer. He briefly topped the timesheets early on with a 1m 15.508s (also on mediums) and ultimately finished a very credible P7. It was strong redemption after a spin ended his FP2 prematurely. His session wasn't without incident, however, as he had a close call in the pit lane, nearly colliding with a Williams during a practice start. He was quick to apologise over the radio.

Team Performance Snapshots

Beyond the headline-grabbers, FP3 offered further clues into the competitive order:

Red Bull Racing: While Verstappen showed improved stability compared to Friday, eventually slotting into P3 on medium tyres, Tsunoda's woes were a major talking point. The team seems to have made progress with Verstappen's balance issues from Friday, where he struggled with oversteer, but a significant question mark hangs over their second car.
Ferrari: The Scuderia, with Lewis Hamilton now partnering Charles Leclerc, had a mixed session. Hamilton, who struggled with brakes on Friday, was out early testing changes and eventually finished P10 with a 1m 15.787s on softs, after an earlier gravel moment. Leclerc, despite also complaining about brakes yesterday, managed P5 with a 1m 15.451s, also on softs. Both Ferrari drivers seemed to be wrestling with the car more than their McLaren counterparts. Antonelli at Mercedes outpaced both Ferraris.
Mercedes: Antonelli's P4 (1m 15.399s, mediums) was a highlight for the Brackley squad, demonstrating promising pace. George Russell, however, seemed less comfortable, finishing P8 (1m 15.662s, mediums) and reporting concerns about the car's low ride height and potential plank wear, an issue he also noted when following Antonelli on Friday.
Williams: Now featuring Carlos Sainz alongside Alex Albon, Williams continued their strong midfield presence. Sainz put his car into an excellent P6 with a 1m 15.457s (softs), while Albon secured P9 with a 1m 15.732s (softs). They look well-placed to fight for Q3.
Aston Martin: The Silverstone-based team appeared to be on a different program, dedicating significant running to the hard compound tyre. Fernando Alonso (P11, 1m 15.819s, hards) and Lance Stroll (P13, 1m 15.975s, softs) logged multiple laps on the white-walled Pirellis, gathering data on a compound that few others touched extensively. With a significant upgrade package this weekend, their focus might be more on race understanding than ultimate one-lap pace in FP3.
Alpine: After Pierre Gasly's stellar P3 in FP2 on Friday, FP3 saw him slip to P15 (1m 15.990s, softs). While perhaps not fully representative, it suggests the fight for Q3 will be intense. His new teammate for this weekend, Franco Colapinto (replacing Jack Doohan), finished P18 with a 1m 16.210s on softs, continuing to acclimatize.
Kick Sauber: Gabriel Bortoleto managed P16 (1m 16.046s, softs), with Nico Hulkenberg further back in P19 (1m 16.238s, softs).
Haas F1 Team: Oliver Bearman put in a respectable performance for P12 (1m 15.944s, softs), while Esteban Ocon was at the bottom of the timesheets in P20 (1m 16.387s, softs).

Conditions and Track Insights

The warmer conditions on Saturday, with track temperatures consistently higher than Friday, likely contributed to the soft tyre degradation issues. The wind direction had also reportedly changed, another variable for teams to factor into their setups. The Imola circuit, with its aggressive kerbs and narrow layout, continued to demand precision. Traffic is also a perennial issue here, and with the C6 soft tyre potentially only being optimal for a single flying lap, any baulked laps in qualifying could be extremely costly.

Looking Ahead to Qualifying

This final practice session has set the stage for a fascinating qualifying battle. Key questions remain:

Can McLaren translate their strong practice pace into a front-row lockout, or will their drivers' propensity for small errors prove costly?
Will Max Verstappen and Red Bull find the ultimate one-lap pace, potentially on the medium tyre, to challenge McLaren? And can they resolve Tsunoda's issues?
How will Ferrari and Mercedes navigate the soft tyre dilemma? Antonelli's medium tyre pace for Mercedes was particularly noteworthy.
Which midfield teams – Williams, Racing Bulls, or perhaps even a resurgent Gasly in the Alpine – can capitalize on the tricky conditions and potential struggles for the front-runners to secure a Q3 spot?

The "zero grip" complaints, the multiple trips through the gravel, and the uncertainty over the best qualifying tyre strategy all point towards a session where mistakes will be heavily punished. With overtaking notoriously difficult at Imola, grid position will be paramount. The chequered flag has fallen on FP3, and the tension is already building for what promises to be an unmissable qualifying session. Stay tuned!