Charles Leclerc finished fastest in the final practice session for the British Grand Prix, signaling that Ferrari could be strong contenders at Silverstone. The session revealed a tight contest at the top, with minimal time separating Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull.
Leclerc`s quickest lap was 1:25.498, just under a tenth of a second ahead of McLaren`s Oscar Piastri and Red Bull`s Max Verstappen, setting the stage for what promises to be a close qualifying battle for pole position.
In the other Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton ended up 11th. However, he was on pace to significantly improve his time and potentially challenge Leclerc through the first two sectors on his final soft-tyre run before a red flag was deployed for debris just as he reached the last corners, forcing him to slow down.
Commentator Anthony Davidson remarked on the unknown potential of Hamilton`s lap, saying, “We`ll never know… That`s a cliffhanger.” He added that with the support of the home crowd and a seemingly capable car, Hamilton appears ready to perform strongly.
Lando Norris secured fourth place in the second McLaren, only 0.108 seconds behind Leclerc. A noticeable gap then followed to the remaining drivers in the top ten, including Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls) and British rookie Oliver Bearman (Haas).
Mercedes, previous winners at Silverstone, had a more difficult session. George Russell was their highest finisher in eighth place, behind Alex Albon (Williams), despite the cooler Saturday conditions that typically suit their car.
Kimi Antonelli was placed 14th in the other Mercedes. In contrast, Racing Bulls successfully placed both their drivers within the top ten.
The session concluded dramatically with two separate incidents.
Sauber`s Gabriel Bortoleto caused an early end to running after a high-speed spin at the Maggotts corner. He appeared to take too much of the kerb on turn-in, losing control and sliding into the gravel, damaging his front-left suspension.
Adding to the late drama, Oliver Bearman`s otherwise promising session ended unexpectedly. As cars returned to the pits under the red flag, the sixth-fastest driver crashed his Haas nose-first into the barrier at the pit-entry slip road. Bearman is also scheduled to meet with the stewards before qualifying regarding a potential red-flag infringement.
As anticipated, Saturday`s weather brought cooler temperatures and overcast skies compared to Friday`s sunshine. The earlier threat of afternoon rain showers has lessened, and similar conditions are forecast for Sunday`s race day.
British GP Practice Three Timesheet
| Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:25.498 |
| 2) Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.068 |
| 3) Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.087 |
| 4) Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.108 |
| 5) Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | +0.606 |
| 6) Oliver Bearman | Haas | +0.614 |
| 7) Alex Albon | Williams | +0.621 |
| 8) George Russell | Mercedes | +0.627 |
| 9) Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | +0.631 |
| 10) Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +0.758 |
| 11) Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | +0.834 |
| 12) Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | +0.834 |
| 13) Esteban Ocon | Alpine | +0.879 |
| 14) Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.924 |
| 15) Nico Hulkenberg | Haas | +1.001 |
| 16) Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | +1.003 |
| 17) Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +1.396 |
| 18) Franco Colapinto | Williams | +2.099 |
| 19) Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +2.102 |
| 20) Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +2.380 |
British GP Schedule
Saturday July 5
1.10pm: F2 Sprint
2.15pm: British GP Qualifying build-up
3pm: BRITISH GP QUALIFYING
4.55pm: F4 Race 1
5.40pm: Ted`s Qualifying Notebook
Sunday July 6
8.15am: F4 Race 2
9.25am: F3 Feature Race
11am: F2 Feature Race
1.30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: British GP build-up
3pm: THE BRITISH GRAND PRIX
5pm: Chequered Flag: British GP reaction
6pm: Ted`s Notebook
