2025 F1 Monaco Grand Prix Free Practice 3 Highlights

The third practice session for the 2025 Monaco Grand Prix ended with Charles Leclerc leading the field. Leclerc posted the fastest time of the session, clocking in a lap at 1:10.953, which secured his spot at the top of the timesheets.

The session was stopped early after Lewis Hamilton crashed into the barriers at Massanet. Hamilton lost control when he encountered traffic coming over the crest and suffered a tank-slapper, forcing red flags and ending practice a few minutes before the scheduled finish. For more on safety protocols in Formula 1, refer to the FIA’s official regulations.

Leclerc’s performance gave Ferrari another confidence boost heading into qualifying. He was 0.280 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen, who set his best lap on medium compound tires. More on Leclerc’s strong showing can be found in the details of Leclerc’s Ferrari Monaco performance.

Max Verstappen finished second with a time of 1:11.233, while Hamilton was fifth quickest before his incident. McLaren’s drivers also showed strong pace, with Lando Norris registering a best time of 1:11.247 and holding third.

Oscar Piastri, who currently leads the World Drivers’ Championship standings with 146 points, finished among the top runners as well. Traffic and yellow flag interruptions played a significant role in the flow of the session. For historical context on Monaco’s challenging circuit, visit Wikipedia’s Monaco Grand Prix page.

Drivers struggled to find clear laps around Monaco’s narrow circuit. The late accident from Hamilton brought extra drama, especially as both Ferrari and Mercedes need clean runs into qualifying.

Hamilton, who holds 53 points in the standings and currently sits behind his Ferrari teammate Leclerc, faces added pressure to bounce back in the upcoming sessions. Teams are also contending for valuable points in the Constructors’ standings.

McLaren sits out front with 279 points, with Norris and Piastri forming a strong duo. Mercedes follows at 147 points, and Red Bull is close behind at 131.

Ferrari’s consistent results keep them in the hunt, tallying 114 points with Leclerc and Hamilton. With qualifying scheduled for later in the day, every driver will be eager to claim pole position on a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult.

Elsewhere in the paddock, attention is on upcoming technical updates as Red Bull brought a unique upgrade package to Monaco. Meanwhile, several team bosses have weighed in on the competitive order and strategy for the race weekend. For insights into F1’s technical developments, check out MIT’s Motorsports Research.

The qualifying session later today will set the grid for Sunday’s race, where starting up front is more important than at almost any other venue on the calendar. Looking ahead, Monaco is just one part of a busy F1 schedule.

Races in Spain, Canada, Austria, and Britain are on the horizon, promising more action in the coming weeks. As the 2025 Formula 1 season rolls on, both the drivers’ and teams’ battles continue to develop, keeping fans and teams guessing who will emerge on top.

The focus now moves to qualifying, where every fraction of a second could decide the outcome of the prestigious Monaco Grand Prix.