It’s time to go on track for the final F1 FP3 session of the Monaco GP. Will it be crash, action and drama packed, just as its predecessors FP1 and FP2, or will it be a calmer hour with lots of running? Full report and results below.
The calm before the storm…
The Ferrari drivers were the first to get out on track, immediately followed by the Racing Bulls duo, but the drivers for the Italian team returned to the pits after an out-lap. Returning to the grid Franco Colapinto set the first purple sector of the day before setting the first lap of the day in 1:21.905s.
Colapinto and Lawson are joined five minutes into the session by the Aston Martin drivers. Lawson improves the benchmark of the day so far to 1:15.171s. It’s the first time in Monaco for the young Kiwi, will he manage to bring back home his first points of the season?
Ten minutes into the session the Sauber drivers join the rest of the grid, with Hulkenberg setting the first lap in the 1:14s. His rookie teammate Bortoleto has to settle for P3, as Ocon joins the party on track.
The track gets populated
The majority of the grid began their day fifteen minutes into the session, as the first yellow flag of the day was issued. Nico Hulkenberg suffered from lockup and ran off track at Anthony Noghes.
After the first set of runs Leclerc leads in 1:12.712s, followed by Norris and Verstappen on mediums. There’s a flurry of different compounds on track at the moment, with drivers testing out the different responses from their tyres.
After his mishap yesterday Piastri had a quick lap in the lower 1:13s, however, he was shortly after demoted from P3 to P6.
A situation between Tsunoda and Hadjar was investigated for impeding, but ultimately no further investigation was needed between the former teammates.
Verstappen goes on top after the second set of attempts at the halfway point of F1 FP3 for the Monaco GP. The reigning champion leads from the Ferrari driver duo. Hamilton appears finally able to express his potential as an Italian Scuderia driver.
Colapinto, in last place, had a couple of moments. In fact, firstly he almost made contact with the wall, then almost stopped in front of Bearman. Luckily, the Haas driver was not on a fast lap. The former Prema race winner managed to slow down enough to avoid him and queue behind him.
A flurry of attempts
Norris brought McLaren on the provisional podium of the session before entering the pits. With twenty minutes left, only Albon, Tsunoda, Hulkenberg, Hadjar, Bortoleto and Colapinto are on track, because of the heat.
Albon, on new softs, almost made contact with the wall, and Verstappen as well shortly after, lamenting tyre issues. Championship leader Piastri appears to have recovered from his previous issues in the Principality. The McLaren driver bolts to P2, only 0.172s off the Red Bull driver’s time.
Many drivers returned on track for the final ten minutes of track time for F1 FP3 in the Monaco GP. Norris had a moment as he ran over a kerb, his tyres lifting off from the ground.
Leclerc goes fastest setting the first 1:10.953s of the weekend on softs. At the same time, Verstappen, on the same compounds, mentions on the radio that softs are just “undriveable”.
Hamilton had to back off from a fast lap. He had a much slower Williams car in front of him.
A heated closing few minutes as Hamilton crashes
A short yellow flag was issued because of a Bearman moment, but the session was cut shortly only moments after. The first red flag of the day was issued with 1:56 minutes left on the clock. In fact, Lewis Hamilton stopped in the Casino square after making contact with the wall in the first sector.
Thus, Charles Leclerc leads FP3 too going into the competitive sessions of F1 Monaco GP. He is joined on the podium by 2025 F1 race winners Verstappen and Norris.
Tune in in a couple of hours for Qualifying!
