FP3

FP3, or Free Practice 3, is the third and final practice session held during a Formula 1 race weekend, giving drivers one last chance to prepare their cars before qualifying begins.

In Formula 1, race weekends are carefully structured to give teams multiple opportunities to test and adjust their cars. FP3 is the last of these practice sessions, and it typically takes place on Saturday morning for one hour. Think of it like a final rehearsal before the main performance—drivers use this time to make sure everything is perfect before the pressure really starts.

The timing of FP3 makes it especially important. Since it happens just a few hours before qualifying—the session that determines where each driver starts the race—teams treat Free Practice 3 as their final opportunity to fine-tune the car's setup. They might adjust the suspension, change the wing angles, or test different tire strategies based on what they learned in the first two practice sessions.

During FP3, you'll often see drivers doing what's called "qualifying simulations." This means they practice running single fast laps on fresh tires, just like they'll need to do in qualifying. These practice runs help drivers find the perfect racing line and build confidence before the real qualifying session begins.

Teams also use Free Practice 3 to gather last-minute data about how their tires are performing and how the car behaves in different conditions. Track temperatures can change significantly between Friday and Saturday, so this fresh data is valuable for making smart decisions later in the day.

One important thing to know about FP3 is what happens immediately after it ends. Once the session finishes, cars enter something called "Parc Fermé," which is a French term meaning "closed park." Under these conditions, teams can only make very limited changes to their cars. This rule makes Free Practice 3 the last real chance to experiment with major setup changes.

Not every race weekend includes FP3, though. During sprint race weekends—special events where there's a shorter race on Saturday—the schedule is different. On these weekends, there's only one practice session on Friday, and teams go straight into qualifying without FP2 or FP3. This compressed format makes the single practice session much more intense and challenging.

For fans watching at home, FP3 can offer hints about which drivers and teams might perform well in qualifying. If a driver consistently posts fast lap times during Free Practice 3, they're likely to be competitive when it really counts. However, it's important to remember that teams don't always show their true speed during practice—some might be testing with more fuel or older tires.