George Russell delivered a stunning lap to top the final practice session ahead of the Australian Grand Prix, posting a best time of 1:19.053 on soft tires at Albert Park.
Interrupted Session Highlights
The third free practice ran under chaotic conditions, starting with a 20-minute delay for barrier repairs from an earlier Formula 3 incident. Carlos Sainz’s Williams halted near the pit entry early on, prompting the first red flag and a Virtual Safety Car period.
Drivers pushed hard on Pirelli’s softest compound as the session progressed. Lewis Hamilton set an early benchmark for Ferrari, but Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri traded the top spot before Russell’s late flyer sealed P1.
Antonelli’s Heavy Shunt at Turn 2
Mercedes endured drama when teammate Kimi Antonelli suffered a violent crash at Turn 2. The young driver bottomed out over the inside kerb, lost the rear, and slammed into the outside wall with a reported 17G impact. Antonelli climbed out unharmed and walked back to the garage, but the wreckage triggered another red flag with under 10 minutes remaining.
Teams scrambled for final runs upon the restart, though Mercedes faces a tight turnaround to prepare Antonelli’s heavily damaged W17 for qualifying later today.
FP3 Top 10 Results
Russell’s effort placed him 0.616 seconds clear of Hamilton in second. Leclerc rounded out the podium in third, followed by Piastri, Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, and Max Verstappen.
- 1. George Russell (Mercedes) – 1:19.053
- 2. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – 1:19.669 (+0.616)
- 3. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – 1:19.827 (+0.774)
- 4. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – 1:20.087 (+1.034)
- 5. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) – 1:20.137 (+1.084)
- 6. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – 1:20.197 (+1.144)
- 7. Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) – 1:20.324 (+1.271)
- 8. Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:20.443 (+1.390)
- 9. Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi) – 1:20.459 (+1.406)
- 10. Oliver Bearman (Haas) – 1:20.778 (+1.725)
Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll sat out entirely due to an internal combustion engine failure, while Sainz ended last in 21st after multiple stoppages.
Mercedes demonstrated strong pace overall, signaling their title contention strength, as attention turns to qualifying where setup tweaks and reliability will prove crucial.646562
