Formula 1 News: Russell tops Practice 3 for 2025 Las Vegas GP

On a wet but eventually dry track, last year’s race winner George Russell (pictured) turned a lap of 1m34.054s in his Mercedes to top Practice 3 for the 2025 Las Vegas GP on the Las Vegas Street Circuit.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

The session started with all the drivers out on Intermediate Pirellis, but at the 2/3rd mark of the session, the slick Pirelli soft tire runners started to go faster.

Max Verstappen was fastest for much of the session, but a late local yellow slowed him and he had to settle for the 2nd fastest time, 0.227s behind Russell.

Alex Albon was third fastest for Williams, 0.821s behind Russell.

Isack Hadjar was an impressive 4th for the Racing Bulls team, 1.115s behind Russell.

Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top-5 in his #44 Ferrari, 1.215s behind Russell.

The second Mercedes of Andrea Kimi Antonelli was sixth.

Liam Lawson was 7th, while the Aston Martin duo Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso claimed eighth and ninth, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly rounding out the top-10.

Hamilton, Antonelli and Leclerc cannot be discounted from fighting for pole later on either, but so much will depend on the weather.

Hamilton, Antonelli and Leclerc cannot be discounted from fighting for pole later on either, but so much will depend on the weather.

That rain? It has just arrived. Light drizzle right now, but that will not exactly help the track conditions – especially this late into the afternoon/evening in Vegas, when the sun has long since set.

Russell and Verstappen are the men to beat in the dry, in what looks a super close fight between three of the top four teams, with McLaren still an unknown.

But in the wet? That is anyone’s guess.

2025 Las Vegas GP Practice 3 Results