Max in P5 after third free practice in Canada

Published on 14 June 2025 by Kees-Jan Koster

Max Verstappen finished the third and final free practice session for the Canadian Grand Prix in fifth place. The reigning world champion only came out on track halfway through the session and managed to get close to the top three but could not really join the fight for the fastest time. That honour went to Lando Norris, who was nearly three tenths quicker than Verstappen. Charles Leclerc set the second-fastest time, followed by George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in third and fourth place respectively.

The third free practice session began with air temperatures at 19 degrees Celsius, while the track surface at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve had already warmed up to 43 degrees. The pit lane lights turned green, but initial action was sparse, with most drivers remaining in the garage. It was Franco Colapinto who first broke the silence, heading out and setting an opening lap of 1:15.366.

The feared Wall of Champions struck again, this time claiming Oscar Piastri as its victim. The championship leader clipped the wall with his right rear wheel. At first glance, it appeared to be a minor tap, but it soon became clear he had a puncture. Whether the suspension survived the impact remained uncertain. The session was briefly interrupted, with a red flag shown as marshals cleared some carbon debris from the track.

Following the short delay, the track was cleared with half the session remaining. The provisional top five stood as Leclerc, Alonso, Hamilton, Stroll and Bearman. Verstappen was still absent from the timing screens; he only made his first appearance on track with 30 minutes left. His first flying lap was a 1:13.442, putting him in eighth position.

In his second attempt, Verstappen moved up to third, but he was not happy. Over the team radio, he complained about the brakes on his Red Bull. Not long after, Russell went quickest with a 1:12.329, leaving Verstappen trailing by over half a second. Lando Norris, however, managed to slot in just five hundredths behind his fellow countryman. Verstappen improved again, solidifying his third position for the time being, though the gap to Russell remained over a tenth.

Hamilton briefly dethroned Russell, but the Mercedes driver quickly reclaimed the top spot with a 1:11.950. Shortly after, Isack Hadjar triggered a yellow flag by spinning at Turn 2, he was able to continue without damage. Meanwhile, the session was not going smoothly for Yuki Tsunoda. With 20 minutes to go, he had completed only seven laps and was in 19th place, while his team worked on his car's brakes.

Both Hamilton and Norris launched fresh attacks on Russell's time. Hamilton came up short, but Norris succeeded, clocking a 1:11.799. One and a half tenths quicker than Russell, to take the lead. Verstappen also gave it a shot, but his first attempt yielded a 1:12.210, placing him fourth. Over the radio, he reported struggling for grip and sliding in the corners. His next lap improved slightly to a 1:12.128, but it was not enough to climb the order. In his final effort, the second sector remained problematic. He ended the session with a 1:12.072, leaving him nearly three tenths down on session leader Lando Norris.

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

Results third free practice Canada: