FP3 Results & Report 2024 Emilia Romagna F1 GP

Event: Emilia Romagna F1 GP
Track: Autodromo Imola

Weather: dry  22°C
Tarmac: dry  42°C
Humidity: 30%
Wind: 7.2 km/h

Norris Survives the Gravel Chaos to Top Final Practice at Imola

McLaren leads the way again as final practice session delivers drama, dust, and doubt ahead of Qualifying

The sun shone bright over Imola this Saturday, but Free Practice 3 for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix quickly turned into a dusty, chaotic hour of tyre woes, gravel excursions, and last-minute heroics. Lando Norris came out on top with a gritty lap of 1:14.897, just shy of the 2024 pole benchmark – but it wasn’t smooth sailing for anyone.

McLaren Keeps Their Grip (Barely)

After Oscar Piastri topped both Friday sessions, it was teammate Norris who emerged fastest in FP3 – but not without a detour. Both McLarens had off-track moments, with Norris himself skating through the gravel before regrouping for the session-topping time. Piastri, meanwhile, ended up second despite dragging a small gravel collection into the pits. Their pace remains undeniable, but perfection is proving elusive on this razor’s edge of a circuit.

Still, it's been a dream weekend for the Woking squad so far – a 1-2 in every session – and they look like the team to beat once again. The only question? Who's going to blink first in Quali?

Verstappen Shows Speed, But Not Stability

Max Verstappen, unusually scrappy on Friday, seemed to get things under better control in FP3 – but only just. The reigning world champion set his quickest time on medium tyres, good enough for third, but even he couldn’t avoid an off-track excursion while pushing. Red Bull appear to have solved some of their balance gremlins overnight, but Max’s session was far from perfect.

Yuki Tsunoda, meanwhile, will be scratching his head during lunch. The usually punchy Japanese driver found himself languishing in P17 and reporting “zero grip” on the radio. Whether it’s tyres, setup or something more fundamental, RB has work to do if they want to sneak into Q3.

Soft Tyres, Short Tempers

The softest rubber available this weekend – the C6 compound – made its debut in Imola and promptly sparked confusion up and down the pit lane. While expected to be the ultimate Qualifying tyre, several drivers found the C6 overheated by the end of a flying lap, leading to lock-ups, missed apexes and a whole lot of frustration.

Even experienced heads like Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Carlos Sainz found themselves beach-hopping. High kerbs, changing wind, and rising temperatures (42°C track temp!) made consistency a luxury few could afford.

And in true F1 style, the clouds in the distance kept everyone guessing – could a storm change the whole complexion before Qualifying?

Midfield Mayhem Brewing

Behind the big four, the midfield is wide open – and ready to pounce. Isack Hadjar made a strong impression in sixth for Racing Bulls, even after a scary moment in the pit lane nearly saw him clip a Williams during a practice start. Alex Albon continued Williams’ strong run in ninth, and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz slotted into a quiet but steady fifth.

Kimi Antonelli finally found his rhythm late in the session, jumping to P4 after a sluggish start to his home weekend. The Bologna-born rookie is under pressure to deliver in front of the Tifosi, and that lap may be just what he needed to get rolling.

Pierre Gasly, however, was the odd one out. After Friday heroics, the Frenchman slipped to P15 – Alpine will be hoping it was just a case of wrong setup, not wrong direction.

Lawson Spins, But Escapes the Barriers

Liam Lawson provided the session's only spin, losing the rear and pirouetting his Racing Bull off-track in dramatic style. Miraculously, he avoided the barriers and rejoined with nothing more than a bruised ego and a flat-spotted set of mediums.

Mercedes Puzzled by Ride Issues

George Russell reported “worse ride” than Friday and kicked up dust with a wild moment of his own. Mercedes continues to chase comfort and compliance over the kerbs, which could prove crucial come Q1. Hamilton, meanwhile, spent the session experimenting with brake tweaks after a troublesome Friday – and his late run to P10 showed some improvement, but not dominance.

Looking Ahead to Qualifying

McLaren has the edge, but the margins are tight, the tyres are temperamental, and the track is unforgiving. Verstappen’s not far off, and with storm clouds (literal and metaphorical) hanging in the distance, Imola qualifying might just be one of the most dramatic sessions of the season.

Set your reminders – Quali kicks off at 16:00 local time. And with only one set of mediums left for most drivers, strategy and execution will be everything.

FP3 Times Table 2025 E. Romagna GP

The fastest lap time of last year's FP3 was a 1:15.529 driven by Oscar Piastri in the McLaren MCL38.

The fastest sectors times during the session where:

• Sector 1: 23.656 sec. by Max Verstappen with the Red Bull RB21.
• Sector 2: 25.924 sec. by Lando Norris with the McLaren MCL39.
• Sector 3: 25.095 sec. by Lando Norris with the McLaren MCL39.

✅ Check out our 2025 Emilia Romagna Formula 1 Grand Prix preview.

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