Lando Norris Leads FP3 in Jeddah, Outshining Team-mate Oscar Piastri

In the blistering heat of Jeddah, McLaren‘s Lando Norris edged out team-mate Oscar Piastri to claim the top spot in the third practice session. Mercedes’ George Russell seemed to be the closest competitor, hinting at a thrilling battle ahead.

Haas Rookie Oliver Bearman Leads Early Running

Initially, Haas rookie Oliver Bearman set the pace before the swift McLarens took over. Piastri led from Norris by 0.085s after an initial round of soft-tyre runs on a scorching Jeddah track that saw temperatures exceeding 50°C.

Just 20 minutes into the session, Max Verstappen briefly took the lead with a 1m29.077s, but Piastri quickly responded with a 1m28.605s. Norris moved back into second, and Ferrari‘s Charles Leclerc climbed to third before Verstappen reclaimed the top three spot.

On their fourth run, Piastri and Norris pushed harder, with Piastri leading his team-mate by 0.150s with a 1m27.513s time, just tenths shy of last year’s pole time set by Verstappen. Despite failing to improve on his final run, Norris leapfrogged Piastri with a 1m27.489s.

Russell Climbs Up the Rankings

Having sat out the early running in unrepresentative conditions, George Russell moved up to fifth after the halfway mark and then set a 1m28.214s to climb to third ahead of Leclerc. However, bridging the gap to McLaren‘s scorching pace appeared challenging, with Russell still six tenths behind the leading pair.

Verstappen moved up from sixth to fourth on his final effort, 0.845s behind, despite not completing as many laps as the other frontrunners due to engine braking issues. Ferrari also struggled to match McLaren‘s pace, with Leclerc losing almost nine tenths in fifth.

The Williams pair of Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz impressed, slotting into seventh and eighth respectively, ahead of the second Mercedes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Troubles for Lewis Hamilton and Tsunoda

Tsunoda lost some early running due to repairs on his RB21 following his late crash in FP2, but he recovered to slot into the top 10 in ninth, ahead of the second Mercedes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli. It was another difficult session for Lewis Hamilton in the second Ferrari, who ended behind Isack Hadjar down in 12th, 1.291s from Norris.

Qualifying for the 2024 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix begins at 8pm local time, 5pm GMT. Stay tuned for more updates!