George Russell Tops Final Abu Dhabi GP Practice as Norris Leads Title Contenders
George Russell led the final practice session for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix with a 1:23.334, narrowly beating Lando Norris by just 0.004 seconds. Norris maintained his strong form among the title contenders, while Max Verstappen finished third, battling car issues. A red flag briefly interrupted the session after Lewis Hamilton crashed, setting the stage for a tight qualifying session ahead of the championship decider.
George Russell set the fastest time in the third and final practice session for the 2025 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with Lando Norris closely behind, maintaining his lead among the championship contenders. Max Verstappen, while third, expressed concerns about his Red Bull's handling.
Why it matters:
This final practice session offered a crucial glimpse into the teams' preparations for the highly anticipated qualifying at Yas Marina. With the championship on the line, every millisecond counts, and the performance in FP3 often indicates potential qualifying pace, especially as track conditions shift with the setting sun.
The details:
- Russell's Pace: George Russell's Mercedes clocked a 1:23.334, securing the top spot in FP3.
- Norris's Consistency: Lando Norris continued his strong weekend form, finishing just 0.004 seconds behind Russell. He remains the strongest of the three title rivals in the practice sessions.
- Verstappen's Struggles: Max Verstappen took third place, a mere 0.124 seconds off Russell's pace, but reported significant 'jumping' at the front of his Red Bull, affecting his ability to keep his feet on the pedals.
- Red Flag Incident: The session saw a 13-minute red flag interruption after Lewis Hamilton crashed his Ferrari at Turn 9. Initial reports from Hamilton suggested a mechanical failure, but Ferrari later indicated it was a driving error.
- Championship Battle: With Norris, Verstappen, and Oscar Piastri all vying for the 2025 title, the performance margins are incredibly fine, setting the stage for a dramatic qualifying session and race.
By the numbers:
- George Russell (Mercedes): 1:23.334
- Lando Norris (McLaren): +0.004
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing): +0.124
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin): +0.251
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren): +0.259
- Esteban Ocon (Haas): +0.271
- Oliver Bearman (Haas): +0.275
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): +0.341
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes): +0.373
- Alex Albon (Williams): +0.388
What's next:
The focus now shifts to qualifying, where grid positions for Sunday's decisive race will be determined. The tight margins seen in FP3 suggest that pole position, and potentially the championship advantage, could be decided by mere thousandths of a second. All eyes will be on the three title protagonists—Norris, Verstappen, and Piastri—as they battle for crucial grid advantage.