Verstappen fourth in third free practice in Jeddah

Published on 19 April 2025 by Misha van der Kroon

Max Verstappen finished P4 in the third free practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. On the lightning-fast street circuit in Jeddah, the McLarens set the pace, with Lando Norris clocking the fastest time, closely followed by teammate Oscar Piastri. George Russell placed third in his Mercedes, a fair distance behind, while Verstappen ended the session fourth with a time of 1:28.334, over eight-tenths slower than the McLarens.

The third and final free practice session for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is the last session to be held in daylight this weekend, as both qualifying and the race will take place after sunset. The first driver on track is Gabriel Bortoleto. The Brazilian rookie has some catching up to do after missing the second practice session on Friday due to a fuel leak in his Sauber.

Fifteen minutes into the session, Max heads out for the first time on a set of soft tyres fitted to the RB21. He initially goes quickest with a 1:29.077, but is soon beaten by Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris, and Oscar Piastri. Max returns to the pits after a three-lap run.

With half an hour remaining, Verstappen goes back out on a fresh set of soft tyres. He improves his time to a 1:28.747, moving up to third, behind the two McLarens. After another short stint of three laps, he returns to the Oracle Red Bull Racing garage.

With just under twenty minutes to go, Max is back on track. The McLarens raise the pace, with Piastri setting a 1:27.513. Although Max improves again with a 1:28.413, it only placed him P5, nine-tenths off Piastri’s benchmark.

After a brief return to the pits, Verstappen heads out once more in the final moments of the session. He manages one last improvement, setting a 1:28.334 to end the session in P4, 0.8 seconds off the fastest man, Lando Norris. McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri is just 0.024 seconds behind in P2, while George Russell follows six-tenths behind the McLarens in his Mercedes.

Qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix starts at 19:00 Dutch time.

Contest GP Djeddah: win a by Max Verstappen signed Red Bull Racing 2025 cap!

Results third free practice Saudi Arabia: