Russell Tops Verstappen in Vegas FP3, McLarens Struggle

George Russell narrowly outpaced Max Verstappen in the final practice session for the 2025 Las Vegas Grand Prix, while both McLaren drivers, Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, found themselves at the very bottom of the timesheets.

Why it matters:

The session's unpredictable conditions, from a cold, damp track to rapidly evolving grip, created an unusual pecking order, highlighting the challenges teams face in optimizing performance under varying circumstances. McLaren's significant struggle, especially with Norris's apparent electrical fault, raises concerns about their qualifying prospects on a track that demands optimal tire performance.

The details:

• Challenging Conditions: Early rain made the initial half of the session largely unproductive, with track temperatures barely reaching 13°C. Drivers struggled for grip on intermediate tires.
• Slick Tire Transition: Lando Norris was the first to attempt slick tires, but it was clear the track wasn't ready, with significant wheelspin and a lack of grip. It took multiple laps for tires to build temperature, and slick-shod times only surpassed intermediate times in the final 20 minutes.
• Rapid Track Evolution: As the track dried and rubbered in, lap times dropped dramatically. Several drivers, including Verstappen, Tsunoda, Leclerc, Hamilton, Lawson, Russell, and Albon, took turns at the top, with the fastest time improving by five seconds in the closing stages.
• Russell's Pace: George Russell ultimately secured the fastest time for Mercedes with a 1m34.054s lap, set just as the checkered flag fell.
• Verstappen's Near Miss: Max Verstappen was on an even quicker lap before a mistake at Turn 14 sent him into the escape road, leaving him second fastest, 0.227s behind Russell.
• McLaren's Woes: McLaren had a particularly difficult session. Piastri struggled to get his soft tires up to temperature and remained in the pits, while Norris aborted a lap, pitted, and did not return due to an apparent electrical fault, with mechanics pushing his car back into the garage.
• FP3 Results Highlights (Top 5):
  • 1. George Russell (Mercedes) 1m34.054s
  • 2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.227s
  • 3. Alex Albon (Williams) +0.821s
  • 4. Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls) +1.115s
  • 5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +1.215s
• No Drain Cover Issues: The FIA confirmed that the problematic manhole cover from FP2, along with 14 others, had been welded down to prevent any further disruptions.

What's next:

The unpredictable nature of FP3, combined with McLaren's struggles and the fluctuating performance across the grid, sets the stage for a potentially thrilling qualifying session. Teams will need to quickly adapt to the evolving track conditions and extract maximum performance from their cars to secure strong grid positions for tomorrow's race. McLaren's technical issues will be a critical watch point, as will the ability of front-runners like Russell and Verstappen to maintain their pace under pressure.