Leclerc Leads Final Free Practice as Silverstone Sparks a Tight F1 Fight
Charles Leclerc, driving for Ferrari, set the fastest time in the season-closer third free practice session at the British Grand Prix, the tenth round of the calendar. After missing the second session at Silverstone due to a fuel-system issue, the Monegasque driver bounced back to clock a 1.27.419 lap, signaling strong form ahead of pole position qualifying at the iconic English circuit.
Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz stood on the edge of a repeat performance by his teammate but ultimately settled for second place. Minutes were lost in the garage as rain disrupted the session, preventing Sainz from improving on his earlier times.
Mercedes, opting for a soft compound strategy, demonstrated pace that kept them within striking distance of Ferrari in single-lap performance. Lewis Hamilton finished just over a tenth behind Verstappen, with the seven-time winner of the event looking to extend his home success at Silverstone in front of the familiar crowd. The British driver has historically enjoyed strong results here, and a top-five place remains a realistic target heading into qualifying.
With around 20 minutes left, race control issued warnings about increasingly damp track conditions. The rain intensified, prompting teams to switch to intermediate tires as the surface briefly showed signs of wet weather. Leclerc attempted to push on slicks, but the worsening grip ultimately forced all drivers to reevaluate, and no one was able to lower their times on the wet surface.
From a race pace perspective, Red Bull displayed superior pace relative to the rest of the field, yet Verstappen opted for caution in the rain, finishing the session in eighth without venturing onto soft tires. A surprising development in the running was the performance of Williams, especially Alex Albon, who clipped a time within two tenths of Leclerc’s best and pushed into second place behind Alonso before the session concluded, with Fernando Alonso also delivering a solid run for Aston Martin.
These results underscore a highly competitive day at Silverstone, where the approaching qualifying session promises an expensive battle to reach Q3. The field appears evenly matched at the top, with Red Bull and Ferrari casting a narrow but distinct edge, while McLaren, Aston Martin, Alpine, Mercedes, and Williams all harbor realistic ambitions to vie for pole position and critical track position in the late afternoon heat. Analysts note that weather, strategy calls, and pit timing will heavily influence the final grid, making the outcome far from certain as teams finalize their setups for the decisive moments of the weekend. [Citations: Official timing data, race control reports, and team briefings; analysis based on session transcripts and weather updates.]