Hamilton Faces Penalty After Practice Infraction, Lawson Crashes Again in Singapore FP3

The third Free Practice session for the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix was action-packed, featuring Liam Lawson's second crash of the weekend, Max Verstappen setting the fastest lap, and Lewis Hamilton potentially facing a penalty.

Why it matters:

Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton is under investigation for a potential rule violation during a red flag period, which could result in a grid penalty for Sunday's race. Such a penalty would significantly impact his starting position and strategic options for the Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Liam Lawson's repeated crashes highlight the challenging nature of the Marina Bay Street Circuit, affecting team morale and repair efforts, especially for a young driver.

The Details:

• Verstappen's Pace: Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing topped the session with a time of 1:30.148 on soft tires, just 0.017 seconds ahead of McLaren's Oscar Piastri.
• Close Competition: George Russell secured third place for Mercedes, indicating a tight field among the top contenders heading into qualifying.
• Hülkenberg's Performance: Nico Hülkenberg impressed, placing his Sauber in ninth, a promising result for his team.
• Lawson's Second Crash: Liam Lawson crashed for the second time this weekend, this time at Turn 7. His Racing Bulls car hit a kerb, spun out, and collided with the barrier, damaging the front wing and right suspension. The incident caused a ten-minute red flag period.
  • Lawson reported he was okay but unsure what caused the sudden loss of control.
• Hamilton Under Investigation: Race stewards are investigating Lewis Hamilton. The Ferrari driver is suspected of accelerating after initially slowing down under red flag conditions following Lawson's crash. If confirmed, this would be a clear breach of regulations.

What's next:

Should the stewards confirm Hamilton's infraction, a grid penalty for the race on Sunday is highly likely, which could drastically alter his race strategy and aspirations. Teams will now focus on analyzing their data from FP3 to fine-tune their setups for the critical qualifying session later today, where pole position on the demanding street circuit is particularly valuable. For Lawson's team, the priority will be repairing his car and assessing the damage to ensure it's ready for qualifying, putting pressure on their engineering team. The close times in FP3 suggest a thrilling qualifying session and a fiercely contested race are on the horizon.

Final Practice Results:

1. Max Verstappen (NL), Red Bull Racing, 1:30.148 min
2. Oscar Piastri (AUS), McLaren, 1:30.165
3. George Russell (GB), Mercedes, 1:30.197
4. Kimi Antonelli (I), Mercedes, 1:30.237
5. Lando Norris (GB), McLaren, 1:30.237
6. Carlos Sainz (E), Williams, 1:30.392
7. Isack Hadjar (F), Racing Bulls, 1:30.489
8. Lewis Hamilton (GB), Ferrari, 1:30.559
9. Nico Hülkenberg (D), Sauber, 1:30.637
10. Charles Leclerc (MC), Ferrari, 1:30.651
11. Alex Albon (T), Williams, 1:30.668
12. Gabriel Bortoleto (BR), Sauber, 1:30.697
13. Esteban Ocon (F), Haas, 1:30.784
14. Oliver Bearman (GB), Haas, 1:30.799
15. Fernando Alonso (E), Aston Martin, 1:30.923
16. Franco Colapinto (RA), Alpine, 1:31.047
17. Lance Stroll (CDN), Aston Martin, 1:31.260
18. Yuki Tsunoda (J), Red Bull Racing, 1:31.440
19. Pierre Gasly (F), Alpine, 1:31.643
20. Liam Lawson (NZ), Racing Bulls, 1:33.628