Sat Sep 06 15:50:00 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

Lando Norris topped the final practice session (FP3) at Monza, signaling strong pace for McLaren. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc showed promise, closely trailing Norris. Qualifying simulations dominated the latter part of the session with most drivers setting timed laps on the hard Pirelli tyres. Lewis Hamilton, carrying a grid penalty, had some struggles, as did others with track limits. Norris ultimately set the fastest time, narrowly ahead of Leclerc and the second McLaren of Oscar Piastri. Bortoleto finished an impressive sixth from Hamilton, Hadjar and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, with Albon (Williams) completing the top 10. Alonso finished P12 in front of his team mate.

**News Article:**

**Norris Leads Final Practice at Monza as McLaren Shows Strong Pace**

**Monza, Italy** – Lando Norris set the pace in the final practice session for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, leading a strong showing for McLaren. The British driver posted a time of 1m 19.331s, edging out Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by a mere 0.021 seconds. Leclerc, fueled by the passionate home crowd, demonstrated promising pace ahead of qualifying.

Oscar Piastri, Norris’s McLaren teammate, also featured near the top of the timesheets, highlighting the Woking-based team’s potential. Max Verstappen, who has dominated the 2025 Formula 1 season, faced some frustrations in practice and ended up behind the McLarens.

Lewis Hamilton, who is carrying a five-place grid penalty into qualifying, had a challenging session, struggling with track limits. Several other drivers, including Norris himself, also ran wide at various points around the high-speed Monza circuit.

Qualifying simulations were the primary focus for most teams in the latter half of the session, with drivers testing different tyre compounds and pushing their cars to the limit. Norris’s performance confirms that McLaren and Ferrari are expected to put pressure on Red Bull later in the day.

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