Silverstone [UK], July 5 : Charles Leclerc accentuated the factor that makes Ferrari a genuine contender at the British Grand Prix after setting the tone in the final practice session, which turned out to be a closely contested affair between the reviving Italian side, Red Bull and McLaren.
In the third and final practice session, Leclerc set the pace by finishing first with a timing of 1:25.498s, less than a tenth of a second better than McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
Scuderia's Lewis Hamilton finished 11th; however, his standing didn't reveal the accurate picture. He was on course to beat the best time, hitting the Sector 2 beam 0.074s, clear of Leclerc. However, a red flag for debris on track forced him to slow down and eventually end up in the 11th spot.
"We'll never know [how quick Hamilton's lap would have been]. That's a cliffhanger. One things for sure, I think Lewis Hamilton smells blood here. He's got the crowd behind him and the car to do it. Can he elevate himself to the heights of last year?" said Sky Sports F1's Anthony Davidson.
Home favourite Lando Norris finished fourth, just 0.108s behind Leclerc's mark. Red Bull's Yuki Tsunoda finished fifth, followed by Haas' Oliver Bearman in sixth.
The 2024 Silverstone winners, Mercedes, were nowhere to be seen in the top five, with George Russell emerging as their top runner in the eighth spot, while Kimi Antonelli landed in the 14th spot, summing up their difficult weekend.
In the last 15 minutes, Norris continued to thrill the home fans by going quickest on a 1m 25.606s, followed closely by Verstappen and his teammate Piastri. However, Leclerc fired in a 1m 25.498s to retake P1.
The session ended on a bit of a dramatic note, with Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto spinning off at high speed into the sweeping Maggotts corner, ending up in the gravel with suspension damage. While Bearman misjudged the pit entry and damaged his front wing.