Watch F1 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix — Practice 3 Free.

What's at Stake

The final hour of practice at Imola is the last opportunity for teams to perfect their low-fuel qualifying setups and validate aerodynamic upgrades on a notoriously narrow circuit. With overtaking being difficult during the race, securing a front-row start is essential, making this session critical for fine-tuning the balance required for a high-stakes qualifying hour.

Form Guide

Heading into the heart of the European season, the field has shown increasing convergence, with the gap between the top three teams narrowing significantly. Recent rounds have rewarded cars with superior stability over the aggressive kerbs of historic tracks, a trait that will be tested thoroughly during these final practice runs.

Key Players to Watch

• Max Verstappen — The defending champion remains the benchmark for one-lap pace and technical feedback during high-pressure setup changes.
• Charles Leclerc — As the local favorite driving for Ferrari, he often finds extra performance around the technical twists of the Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari.
• Lando Norris — Following recent strong performances, his ability to extract maximum grip from the softest tire compounds makes him a threat for the top of the timing sheets.

Prediction

Expect a frantic final ten minutes as teams transition from race simulations to qualifying simulations on the soft compound tires. Red Bull is likely to edge out Ferrari for the fastest lap of the session, though the top five drivers will likely be separated by less than three-tenths of a second as the track rubber-ins.