Formula One F1 - Singapore Grand Prix - Marina Bay Street Circuit, Singapore - October 4, 2025 Red Bull's Max Verstappen during practice REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha
SINGAPORE (Reuters) -Resurgent world champion Max Verstappen laid down a marker for qualifying later on Saturday when he steered his Red Bull to the fastest time in third practice for the Singapore Grand Prix.
The Dutchman clocked one minute 30.148 seconds late in the session to top the timesheets 0.017 seconds ahead of McLaren's championship leader Oscar Piastri in 1.30.165.
Verstappen has won the last two races and is looking for a third straight victory in Singapore to cut further into the 69-point deficit that separates him from Australian Piastri in the drivers' standings.
George Russell bounced back from his crash on Friday with the third fastest time (1.30.197), while his teammate Kimi Antonelli confirmed the pace of the Mercedes with the fourth quickest lap (1.30.237).
Lando Norris, who won from pole last year, was fifth fastest in the other McLaren with Williams driver Carlos Sainz and Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls backing up strong times on Friday in sixth and seventh.
Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton was eighth quickest but faces a trip to the stewards for a red flag infringement.
Russell's shunt triggered one of two red-flag stoppages in Friday's second practice and the action was halted again 15 minutes into Saturday's session when Liam Lawson lost control on a corner and put his Racing Bulls car into a barrier.
Lawson was also responsible for one of Friday's stoppages when he clipped a barrier with a rear tyre and the New Zealander will now face a real challenge to go deep in qualifying.
(Reporting by Nick Mulvenney, editing by Ed Osmond)
