Third Free Practice Report & Results 2025 Monaco F1 GP

Event: Monaco F1 Grand Prix
Track: Monaco Circuit

Weather: dry  21°C
Tarmac: dry  40°C
Humidity: 50%
Wind: 3.2 km/h

Leclerc Shines, Hamilton Crashes, and Red Bull Puzzles in Final Monaco Practice

The sun beamed over Monte Carlo’s harbour, yachts swayed gently, and the scent of burnt rubber mixed with luxury cologne—yep, it's Monaco baby. And as if he was born for it, Charles Leclerc once again lit up the time sheets, topping all three practice sessions of the weekend. But while the local hero soared, Lewis Hamilton’s hopes took a heavy hit—literally—when he backed his Ferrari into the barriers at Massenet.

Let’s break down the final practice before qualifying with everything you’d expect from F1’s glitziest Grand Prix: drama, unpredictability, and a splash of chaos.

🔥 Leclerc in the Zone: Monaco’s Favourite Strikes Again

The man from Monte Carlo is having a moment. Leclerc continued his dominant weekend by leading FP3 with a 1:11.179, keeping his cool even as others slid and scrambled for grip. That time was set on soft tyres with seven laps already on them—an ominous sign for the rest of the grid.

Despite Ferrari’s earlier claims that the SF-25 wouldn’t shine on slower circuits, Leclerc’s confidence, composure, and car setup are all in perfect sync. After years of Monaco heartbreak, including pole positions that slipped through his fingers, it’s clear: the curse might really be broken.

💥 Hamilton Bins It: Casino Curve Turns Costly

Just when it seemed Ferrari might lock out the front row, Lewis Hamilton's weekend took a nasty turn—quite literally. Pushing through Massenet, he lost the rear and tagged the outside barrier, snapping his right rear and sending his front end into the wall.

The red flags flew, and the session ended early. Hamilton's Ferrari was left wounded, minus a front tyre, and with possible gearbox damage. Jolyon Palmer put it best: “That’s a bigger hit than it looks. It’s the angle—could be nasty for the gearbox.”

Not the way the seven-time champ wanted to enter Qualifying, especially with the car finally showing signs of life.

🟡 Verstappen’s Medium Gamble: Fast, but Fragile?

Max Verstappen spent much of the session duelling with Leclerc—on the mediums. While the Red Bull ace put in strong laps early on, he couldn’t extract the same pace from the softs, complaining over team radio that they were “undriveable.”

The RB21 looked tricky, especially in the final corners. Verstappen’s best lap—good enough for second—came on a medium compound with decent wear, leaving many wondering whether Red Bull are sandbagging or simply struggling.

With only two sets of mediums available for most teams, strategy headaches are mounting ahead of Quali and Sunday’s race.

🧡 McLaren Show Promise, But Not Pace

Lando Norris continued his strong form by finishing third, just 0.068s off Leclerc. But McLaren didn’t seem fully at ease on the softs. Oscar Piastri, despite some promising sectors, couldn’t crack the top three and ended up P4.

The papaya cars looked more convincing than most on the softs, but the gap to Ferrari is still notable. If they want to challenge for the front row, they’ll need a flawless run in Q3.

🧊 Midfield Madness: Albon Leads, Russell Flounders

Alexander Albon popped up in P6, once again showing that Williams are punching well above their weight this weekend. Rookie Liam Lawson impressed too, placing seventh and ahead of Carlos Sainz and Yuki Tsunoda.

Mercedes? Still missing in action. George Russell was buried outside the top 10, visibly frustrated on team radio: “I’m running out of ideas.” The Silver Arrows aren’t just off the pace—they’re dangerously close to missing Q3.

👀 Tyre Tactics: Medium vs. Soft Dilemma

As temperatures crept above 40°C, teams began debating whether to run mediums or softs in Qualifying. The C6 soft tyre struggled to deliver performance on the first push lap, catching many out. Meanwhile, mediums looked strong, especially for Verstappen and Stroll, but risking them now might mean trouble on race day.

Williams boss James Vowles summed it up: “We have two sets [of mediums]—you’ll find out in Qualifying!”

🔚 Final Word: All Eyes on Qualifying

With Leclerc commanding all three practice sessions and Verstappen lurking, Monaco’s Qualifying is shaping up to be a classic. Add Norris, Piastri, and a potentially resurgent Hamilton (if the gearbox survives), and we’ve got a five-way fight for pole.

But as always in Monaco, it’s not just about who’s fastest—it’s about who gets through the session cleanly. Traffic, tyre temps, and pure guts will separate the gladiators from the grid-fillers.

Set your clocks. Grab your espresso. Qualifying kicks off at 16:00 local time—and it’s going to be box office.

FP3 Times Table 2025 Monaco GP

The quickest sector times during this first practice session were:

• Sector 1: 18.396 sec by Charles Leclerc with the Ferrari SF-24.
• Sector 2: 33.657 sec by Lando Norris with the McLaren MCL38.
• Sector 3: 18.896 sec by Charles Leclerc with the Ferrari SF-24.

Last year the quickest lap time of FP3 was a 1:11,369 min, driven by Charles Leclerc with the Ferrari SF-24.

✅ Check out our 2025 Monaco F1 Grand Prix Preview.

✅ Check out more posts with related topics: