Lando Norris Dominates Free Practice Ahead of Azerbaijan Grand Prix Qualifying

Baku, Azerbaijan — Lando Norris topped Free Practice 3 for the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Saturday, showcasing strong performance despite tricky conditions. The McLaren driver clocked a fastest lap of 1:41.223, finishing 0.222 seconds ahead of Max Verstappen and title rival Oscar Piastri.

The session was marked by high winds and the aftermath of heavy rain that had fallen overnight, which washed away much of the rubber from previous practice sessions. Drivers faced challenges in braking zones as they navigated the circuit.

“It’s challenging with this wind,” Ollie Bearman, the first driver to utilize the run-off area at Turn 4, said early in the session. Despite the tough conditions, Norris was among the first to set competitive times after losing significant running during FP2 due to a collision with the wall.

Charles Leclerc, who has claimed pole position at the last four events in Baku, began the session quickly, setting a 1:43.048 despite struggling at the final corner. Teammate Lewis Hamilton also faced difficulties, running off track at Turn 3 before recovering.

As conditions improved, lap times began to drop. Leclerc noticeably reduced the benchmark to 1:42.354, nearly colliding with the wall at Turn 7. Lawson, however, experienced a severe 360-degree spin at Turn 16 during the session.

Verstappen eventually became the first driver to set a time under 1:42, with a lap of 1:41.727. Norris continued to excel, improving on his previous best time to finish with the quickest overall lap across all practice sessions.

Piastri managed to recover from an oversteer moment that hampered his flying lap. He ended the session three-tenths of a second behind Norris.

The final positions saw Norris leading, followed closely by Verstappen, Piastri, Hamilton, and Kimi Antonelli, with the rest of the field rounding out the top ten. Drivers now shift their focus to qualifying shortly after Free Practice 3, eager to secure optimal starting positions for the race.