The final practice session before qualifying for the 2025 British Grand Prix at Silverstone is underway. Teams are on track for the twelfth round of the Formula 1 World Championship, which marks the halfway point of the current season. While the early phases of the weekend were clearly dominated by McLaren, the situation appears to be shifting. Scuderia Ferrari showed remarkable progress during Friday’s free practice sessions, and all eyes are now on whether the Italian team can maintain that momentum during Free Practice 3 (FP3). Follow our LIVE commentary for real-time updates from the session.
There is growing optimism inside the Ferrari garage after a strong showing on Friday, where both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton delivered competitive performances through the high-speed corners of the Silverstone Circuit. This is the same track where Hamilton secured his final win as a Mercedes driver back in 2024, and now, as a Ferrari driver, he looks set to challenge at the front again. His teammate Charles Leclerc, too, sounded confident from Thursday onwards, hinting at the potential for Ferrari to take its first victory of the season this weekend.
However, despite the promising pace, not everything went perfectly for Ferrari in Friday’s running. Lewis Hamilton struggled slightly during the race simulation stints, especially with consistency over longer runs. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc reported concerns regarding the car’s behavior, specifically noting an unusual issue with the front-left corner of the SF-25.
McLaren now faces serious pressure from Ferrari, setting the stage for what could become a thrilling battle between the two teams. Data from both qualifying and race simulations confirm how close the performance levels are between the two cars, and even McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri acknowledged the impressive job done by the Maranello-based outfit.
In contrast, Mercedes and Red Bull Racing appear to be on the back foot this weekend. So far, their drivers have not shown the kind of pace necessary to challenge Ferrari or McLaren, based on the metrics seen on Friday. For now, the Silverstone battle for pole position and race victory seems to be narrowing to just two teams.
That said, nothing is set in stone. The teams still have one more hour of track time available to fine-tune their setups before the crucial qualifying session. Free Practice 3 starts at 12:30 local time, and it will be the final opportunity to evaluate car performance and make key adjustments ahead of the grid-deciding session later in the day.
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