2025 Azerbaijan GP FP3: Norris strikes back in Baku

Lando Norris put his Friday frustrations firmly behind him with a commanding display in the final practice session for the 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The McLaren driver clocked a 1:41.223 to lead the field into Qualifying, finishing 0.222s clear of Max Verstappen and just ahead of team-mate and title rival Oscar Piastri, in what could be a preview of the battle to come in the 2025 F1 World Championship.

The session played out in tricky circumstances after heavy overnight rain had washed away the rubber laid down on Friday, leaving the Baku City Circuit green once more. Adding to the challenge, high winds buffeted cars into the braking zones, catching several drivers off guard. Haas rookie Ollie Bearman was the first to run wide, skating into the Turn 4 escape road within the opening 10 minutes, while most of the grid stayed cautious in the garages until conditions stabilised.

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Norris, who had clipped the wall and lost half of FP2, was among the first to take to the track on soft tyres, joined by Piastri as McLaren looked to reset after a scrappy Friday. Charles Leclerc, holder of the last four Baku pole positions, initially set the pace with a 1:43.048, even after running deep at the final corner. Team-mate Lewis Hamilton also had an early off at Turn 3 before recovering strongly.

The lap times began to tumble in the final 30 minutes. Leclerc lowered the benchmark to a 1:42.354, brushing the wall at Turn 7 in the process, while Liam Lawson brought out the gasps with a wild 360-degree spin at Turn 16. Verstappen then became the first driver to dip below the 1m 42s barrier, delivering a 1:41.727 as the field moved into Qualifying simulations.

But Norris had saved his best for last. The Briton surged to the top with a 1:41.223, the fastest lap of the weekend so far across all three sessions. Piastri’s flying effort was undone by oversteer through Turn 4 and another lock-up at Turn 1, leaving him to salvage third after a late improvement—still three-tenths down on his team-mate and behind Verstappen’s Red Bull. Hamilton completed a strong run for Ferrari in fourth, followed by Antonelli and Russell in the two Mercedes machines.

Behind the leading pack, Alex Albon impressed again with eighth for Williams, splitting Bearman’s Haas and Lawson’s Racing Bull, while Leclerc could do no better than tenth after a final-lap mistake at Turn 4. Hadjar narrowly missed out on the top 10 in 11th, heading Nico Hülkenberg, Carlos Sainz, Fernando Alonso, and Franco Colapinto. Yuki Tsunoda endured a quiet session in 16th, while Esteban Ocon, Gabriel Bortoleto, Pierre Gasly, and Lance Stroll rounded out the classification.

For Norris, topping FP3 was the perfect response after his costly error in FP2, while Verstappen reminded the field that he remains a potent force around the Caspian streets. With Piastri struggling to string together a clean lap and Leclerc off the boil, Qualifying later today promises a showdown between the key players in the 2025 title fight—on a Baku track that has already claimed its share of mistakes.

2025 Azerbaijan GP FP3 Results

2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix FP3, 20 September 2025