Overview
- The Mercedes driver set the fastest time of the weekend, finishing 0.616s ahead of Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton with Charles Leclerc third.
- Final practice began 20 minutes late for F3 barrier repairs and included red flags for Carlos Sainz's pit‑entry stoppage and Kimi Antonelli's heavy Turn 2 crash.
- Antonelli walked away unhurt but his car suffered major damage, leaving Mercedes racing to rebuild and putting his qualifying participation in doubt.
- Williams' Sainz and Aston Martin's Lance Stroll logged no times, with Sainz reporting a power loss and Stroll sidelined by a suspected internal combustion engine issue.
- McLaren's Oscar Piastri took fourth as Red Bull's Isack Hadjar pipped Max Verstappen for fifth, with qualifying set for 4pm AEDT.