Lewis Hamilton experienced a dramatic end to his final practice for the Monaco Grand Prix when he crashed near the session’s conclusion, causing a red flag delay. The seven-time world champion‘s incident disrupted what had been a promising session for Ferrari and left rivals including Max Verstappen and others surprised.
Before the crash, Ferrari had shown strong pace, with Charles Leclerc topping the timesheets again and Hamilton running inside the top five. The session was dominated by drivers vying for track position, leading to several moments where cars obstructed each other’s laps, amplifying tensions across team radios.
On-Track Traffic and Potential Penalties
One significant incident involved Yuki Tsunoda impeding Isack Hadjar, raising concerns among officials about possible penalties similar to the grid drop assigned to Lance Stroll earlier in the weekend. Both Tsunoda and his teammate Max Verstappen demonstrated impressive speed, setting the stage for an unpredictable qualifying round.
Complete Practice Three Results for Monaco Grand Prix 2025
The top performers from the FP3 session reflect a competitive field: Charles Leclerc led with a lap time of 1:10.953, closely followed by Max Verstappen at +0.280 seconds. McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri secured third and fourth places, while Hamilton was fifth, +0.563 seconds off the pace. The full top ten included Alex Albon, Liam Lawson, Carlos Sainz, Yuki Tsunoda, and Kimi Antonelli, demonstrating a tightly packed grid.
Context on the Current F1 Driver Rankings
Max Verstappen remains the reigning Formula 1 world champion, having secured his fourth drivers’ title last season. As the weekend progresses, anticipation builds for the upcoming qualifying session in Monaco scheduled for Saturday, May 24, at 4 p.m. local time (10 a.m. ET), where track positions will be fiercely contested.
Implications of Hamilton’s Crash for the Monaco Grand Prix
The crash by Lewis Hamilton underlines the high stakes and pressure ahead of one of the most challenging circuits on the F1 calendar. Ferrari’s strong performance until the crash suggests they are contenders, but the disruption may affect their momentum. Meanwhile, Red Bull’s pace points to a tight battle in qualifying. The outcome of qualifying will be crucial in shaping the race dynamics in Monte Carlo, known for making overtaking difficult and rewarding strategic precision.
