The final practice session at the Baku City Circuit had a dramatic tone from the start, with overnight rain washing away the rubber from Friday’s running and leaving the surface slick. Drivers tiptoed through the early minutes as strong gusts of wind complicated braking into Turns 1 and 15, making this session as much about building confidence as it was about finding raw pace. Every lap saw grip levels improving, but the challenge remained unforgiving — a single misjudged corner could ruin a flying lap.
McLaren seized the spotlight once again as Lando Norris set the benchmark, topping the session with a 1:41.223 lap. The Briton looked calm and precise despite the tricky conditions, a strong sign that his car was well-balanced ahead of qualifying. Just 0.222s behind was Max Verstappen, who kept Red Bull firmly in the fight despite some radio frustration over traffic in the final sector. Oscar Piastri followed closely in third, giving McLaren a dream 1–3 result to carry momentum into the afternoon.
Mercedes looked quietly competitive, with Lewis Hamilton putting together a tidy lap for P4 and rookie Kimi Antonelli continuing to impress in fifth. George Russell rounded out the top six, showing that the Silver Arrows’ updates are helping them close the gap to the frontrunners. Ferrari had a quieter session, struggling to extract peak pace from the soft tyres, while Aston Martin and Alpine seemed more focused on race simulations than headline times.
Beyond the front-runners, the session was littered with near misses as drivers pushed the limits on the narrow streets. Several cars brushed the walls, and a late yellow flag caused by a Williams spin briefly interrupted proceedings. Despite these moments, FP3 remained uninterrupted by red flags, allowing teams to gather crucial data on tyre behaviour as the track continued to evolve under the improving weather.
Heading into qualifying, the competitive order remains finely poised. McLaren appears to have the edge on one-lap pace, but Verstappen’s consistency means Red Bull will be dangerous when it counts. Mercedes may be dark horses for a front-row challenge if they can hook up their best laps, and Ferrari will hope to unlock more speed in cooler afternoon conditions. With track evolution likely to be significant, a perfectly timed final run could be the difference between pole position and the second row — setting up a thrilling fight for grid supremacy in Baku.
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