The curtain falls on the third practice session and it’s Lando Norris and McLaren who head into qualifying as the clear favorites. Norris clocked an impressive lap of 1:29.646, setting a new lap record around Marina Bay and leading the field by nearly half a second. He was the only driver to dip below the 1:30 mark, making a strong statement ahead of qualifying. His performance places him firmly in the spotlight, with rivals like Max Verstappen and Ferrari struggling to keep up.
After an overnight downpour washed away the rubber laid down during Friday’s practice sessions, the track was effectively green for the start of the session. Both Aston Martins were quick to head out, looking to gather crucial data. However, their progress was soon interrupted when a monitor lizard wandered onto the track, prompting a red flag just 10 minutes in. Marshals swiftly cleared the reptile, and once the session resumed, the pecking order quickly fell into place.
McLaren has been looking sharp all weekend, but Norris truly took center stage in FP3. The MCL38 looked perfectly balanced as Norris seemed to have squeezed every bit of performance from the car. His teammate, Oscar Piastri, also showed strong form, finishing third, though he was nearly eight-tenths of a second off Norris’ pace. It’s clear McLaren is dialed in, and both drivers are in good shape heading into qualifying.
On the other hand, Ferrari’s weekend has taken a turn for the worse. After showing promise in the earlier sessions, the Scuderia fell significantly behind in FP3. Charles Leclerc only managed to secure fifth place, 0.926 seconds off Norris, while Carlos Sainz lagged further behind in sixth, more than a second off the pace. The sudden drop in performance is worrying, especially as the team was expected to challenge McLaren this weekend.
Ferrari’s SF-24 struggled on the soft tires during FP3, with both drivers complaining of poor grip and balance. This is concerning, as the final practice is typically when teams fine-tune their setups for qualifying. The moment Leclerc and Sainz switched to the C5 soft compound, it became clear that they couldn’t extract the pace needed.
Their frustration was evident, with Leclerc commenting that the car had “no grip,” particularly in the high-speed corners. To add to their woes, Ferrari might face further trouble due to a potential tire procedure breach. Reports suggest the team altered tire pressures in the pit lane, possibly violating a technical directive. Ferrari now faces a tough battle ahead of qualifying. While their pace on the medium tires was solid earlier in the session, their inability to find time on the soft compounds leaves them vulnerable to rivals like Mercedes and Red Bull.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull, meanwhile, have continued to struggle in Singapore. Despite significant overnight improvements, Verstappen finished fourth, nearly nine-tenths behind Norris. The team introduced a higher-downforce rear wing to help manage the Marina Bay circuit, but the setup still doesn’t seem quite right. Verstappen mentioned after the session that while the rear of the car felt more stable than it had on Friday, it still felt “light” under braking and in the tighter corners, which cost him time. Red Bull will need to make further tweaks if they hope to challenge for pole.
Mercedes, on the other hand, showed signs of life in FP3. George Russell was the first one to run the soft tyres and put in a strong lap to finish second, 0.477 seconds behind Norris. The team hasn’t brought major updates to Singapore, but small adjustments to tire management and setup seem to have made a difference. Russell looked comfortable in the W15 and is a serious threat for the front row in qualifying as well.
Lewis Hamilton, however, wasn’t able to match his teammate’s performance. He finished outside the top five, struggling to find the right balance with his car. Hamilton has a strong history at Marina Bay and is known for pulling out a surprise in qualifying, but he’ll need to make some improvements before the session if he hopes to challenge for the top spots. Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto maintained Williams’ strong showing with the eighth and ninth fastest times. Fernando Alonso rounded out the top 10 for Aston Martin, just ahead of VCARB’s Yuki Tsunoda.
Heading into qualifying, McLaren looks poised to take pole, with Norris as the clear favorite. His dominance in FP3, combined with Piastri’s solid pace, means McLaren holds a strong hand. Ferrari’s difficulties with the SF-24, particularly on soft tires, will likely leave them playing catch-up, while Red Bull is still searching for the right balance. The Marina Bay circuit could still throw a curveball, but as things stand, Lando Norris and McLaren have emerged as the team to beat.
