Image Credentials: Image Title: F1: Norris Leads Final Practice in Zandvoort and Confirms McLaren’s Favoritism Source: (Sora.ChatGpt) Date: August 2025. Attribution: Created by AI-generated imagery (Sora.ChatGpt), it does not depict a real-world scene.
By Staff Writer | Open Chronicle
The final practice session (FP3) of the 2025 Dutch Grand Prix consolidated McLaren as the team to beat this weekend in Zandvoort. Lando Norris once again shone, setting the fastest lap with an impressive 1:08.972, confirming his great form and strengthening his chances for pole position and victory on Sunday.
Right behind him, Oscar Piastri showed the strength of the Woking-based team by securing second place, only 0.242s off Norris. George Russell completed the top three for Mercedes, although still far from McLaren’s dominant pace.
Brazilian highlight
Young Gabriel Bortoleto also delivered a solid performance. The Sauber driver clocked 1:10.361 and finished 13th, ahead of teammate Nico Hülkenberg, who ended the session in 16th. This result is encouraging for Brazilian fans, as Bortoleto continues to show consistency in his first full Formula 1 season.
Rivals are trying to close the gap
Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen finished very close, in fourth and fifth respectively, followed by Charles Leclerc, who kept Ferrari inside the top six. Alexander Albon and Lance Stroll also performed well, putting Williams and Aston Martin among the top ten.
Fernando Alonso ended up only in tenth, but he remains a key piece for Aston Martin in balancing cornering speed with race pace. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton was unable to extract the maximum from Ferrari, finishing 14th.
Full Results – FP3 Dutch GP 2025
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Lando Norris (McLaren/Mercedes), 1:08.972 – 16 laps
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Oscar Piastri (McLaren/Mercedes), 1:09.214 (+0.242s) – 15
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George Russell (Mercedes), 1:09.858 (+0.886s) – 17
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Carlos Sainz (Williams/Mercedes), 1:09.913 (+0.941s) – 23
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Max Verstappen (Red Bull/Honda RBPT), 1:09.925 (+0.953s) – 20
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Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 1:09.938 (+0.966s) – 23
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Alexander Albon (Williams/Mercedes), 1:10.099 (+1.127s) – 22
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Lance Stroll (Aston Martin/Mercedes), 1:10.103 (+1.131s) – 24
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Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT), 1:10.166 (+1.194s) – 21
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Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin/Mercedes), 1:10.232 (+1.260s) – 20
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Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT), 1:10.300 (+1.328s) – 17
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Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull/Honda RBPT), 1:10.349 (+1.377s) – 19
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Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber/Ferrari), 1:10.361 (+1.389s) – 21
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Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 1:10.373 (+1.401s) – 20
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Oliver Bearman (Haas/Ferrari), 1:10.595 (+1.623s) – 19
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Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber/Ferrari), 1:10.599 (+1.627s) – 24
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Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 1:10.697 (+1.725s) – 31
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Esteban Ocon (Haas/Ferrari), 1:10.801 (+1.829s) – 18
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Pierre Gasly (Alpine/Renault), 1:10.963 (+1.991s) – 24
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Franco Colapinto (Alpine/Renault), 1:11.054 (+2.082s) – 21
Expectations for Qualifying
With Norris and Piastri dominating practice, McLaren enters as the absolute favorite for pole position. However, the battle among Mercedes, Williams, Ferrari, and Red Bull promises to be intense for the places just behind, while Aston Martin could still spring a surprise.