Norris Tops Final Practice at Saudi Arabian GP

In a thrilling conclusion to the final practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, Lando Norris emerged victorious, clocking in the fastest lap just 0.024 seconds ahead of his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. George Russell of Mercedes rounded out the top three, signaling intense competition as the weekend heats up.

Intense Conditions Set the Stage

The session kicked off under sweltering 30-degree temperatures at the Jeddah Corniche Circuit as the sun dipped below the horizon. Teams were eager to finalize their setups before the crucial qualifying rounds.

Early Movers Make Their Mark

While many drivers opted for a slow start, Gabriel Bortoleto of Kick Sauber urgently hit the track to make up for lost time due to a fuel leak in FP2. Jack Doohan took the early edge on soft tires, followed closely by Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman from Haas. Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll also hit the track early, aiming to secure solid groundwork on medium rubber.

Hamilton Tests Overnight Changes

Lewis Hamilton, searching for answers after a disappointing Friday, emerged from the pits 10 minutes in. His first lap put him slightly ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, highlighting his ongoing struggles as he battled to close the gap.

Pushing Boundaries as Time Tick

As more drivers hit the track, lap times started to drop dramatically, with Piastri and Norris once again at the forefront. However, Red Bull’s Max Verstappen quickly snatched the top spot, showcasing fierce competition.

Traffic Trouble Looms

As drivers took to the soft tires for their final runs, the potential for traffic issues became apparent, realizing how important clean laps would be during qualifying. With 17 minutes left, George Russell surged to the lead with a time of 1m 28.214s, but Piastri quickly reclaimed the spotlight with a blistering 1m 27.513s.

Norris Roars Back

In a dramatic turn, Norris clinched the fastest lap of the session with a time of 1m 27.489s, pushing ahead of Piastri once more. Russell improved as well, solidifying his place in the top three but finding himself still 0.845 seconds behind Norris. Hamilton's struggles continued, leaving him in a disheartening 12th place, far from his aspirations for Q3.

Emerging Talent Shines

In what has been a promising weekend for the Williams team, Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz finished in sixth and seventh, while Pierre Gasly maintained his strong form, consistently placing in the top 10. Yuki Tsunoda showed resilience by bouncing back from his FP2 crash to secure the ninth fastest time.

What’s Next?

With the final practice session concluded, teams now have one last chance to refine their strategies before the thrilling qualifying rounds set to start at 2000 local time. Fans eagerly await to see if McLaren can transition their strong form into qualifying.