Russell Tops Vegas FP3 as McLarens Struggle Amidst Damp Conditions and Technical Issues

George Russell led the final practice session for the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix, narrowly beating Max Verstappen, while both McLarens of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris ended up surprisingly slowest.

Why it matters:

McLaren's unexpected poor performance in FP3 raises concerns just before qualifying for the Las Vegas Grand Prix. The team, which has shown strong form recently, faced significant challenges in getting their soft tires up to temperature and a potential electrical fault for Norris, signaling potential trouble for their crucial qualifying session.

The details:

• Challenging Conditions: The session began on a cold and damp track (barely 13C) due to earlier rain, making early running difficult and forcing teams to switch from intermediate to slick tires as the track dried.
• McLaren's Struggles: Lando Norris initially led on intermediates but struggled significantly on slicks. Oscar Piastri also failed to get his soft tires into their operating window and pitted permanently. Norris's car was eventually pushed back into the garage by mechanics in rubber gloves, suggesting a possible electrical fault.
• Track Evolution: As conditions improved in the final 20 minutes, lap times dramatically decreased, with Russell ultimately setting the fastest time (1m34.054s) for Mercedes, just ahead of Verstappen, who made a mistake on his fastest lap attempt.
• Unusual Gaps: The time gaps were notably inconsistent, with Alex Albon in third almost eight tenths behind Russell, and a similar gap covering fourth-placed Isack Hadjar down to Charles Leclerc in fifteenth.
• Drain Cover Safety: Following the FP2 disruption, the FIA confirmed that the problematic manhole cover and 14 others were inspected and welded to prevent any repeat incidents.

What's next:

With qualifying approaching, McLaren will be under immense pressure to quickly resolve their issues, particularly the suspected electrical fault on Norris's car and their struggle with tire temperatures. Teams will also be evaluating their strategies based on the rapidly evolving track conditions seen in FP3, hoping for a clean and competitive qualifying session without further disruptions. All eyes will be on whether McLaren can bounce back from their challenging practice and if Mercedes and Red Bull can maintain their pace.