Oscar Piastri took the top spot in a closely contested Formula 1 Practice Three session at the Australian Grand Prix, with Max Verstappen’s Red Bull rebounding from Friday woes. The session was marked by a red flag for Oliver Bearman, who crashed out of his first lap after damaging his car.
Piastri led the way with a time of 1:15.921, followed closely by George Russell and Verstappen, who regained P1 with a 1:16.646. Charles Leclerc rounded out the top four spots.
Verstappen’s return to form was notable, as he had expressed concerns about his team’s ability to get into Q3 on Friday. The session also saw a dramatic improvement in Hamilton, who shot up to third place after a series of fast laps and questioned where he had lost time.
Red Bull’s teammate Liam Lawson did not set a time due to a PU or system problem with the car. Despite this setback, Red Bull remains optimistic about Verstappen’s chances for qualifying.
The top 10 results are as follows:
1. Oscar Piastri McLaren
2. George Russell Mercedes +0.039s
3. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +0.081s
4. Charles Leclerc Ferrari +0.267s
5. Andrea Kimi Antonelli Mercedes +0.285s
6. Carlos Sainz Williams +0.331s
7. Alexander Albon Williams +0.337s
8. Lewis Hamilton Ferrari +0.457s
9. Yuki Tsunoda Racing Bulls +0.534s
10. Lando Norris McLaren +0.676s
Source: https://www.planetf1.com/news/australian-grand-prix-2025-fp3-report