McLaren dominates at Suzuka ahead of George Russell’s Mercedes. Two more red flags due to small fires.
McLaren proves to be the fastest once again in the third and final practice session, confirming pre-weekend predictions, with Lando Norris ahead of Oscar Piastri by just 26 thousandths.
Strong performance from Mercedes on the flying lap, with George Russell in third place, about a tenth behind Lando Norris’s McLaren. Ferrari is further behind, with Charles Leclerc in fourth, four tenths off the pace, and Lewis Hamilton sixth, half a second down — although the two Ferrari drivers did not set their fastest times on fresh Soft tyres.
Finally, FP3 was also marked by two red flags, adding to the four from yesterday’s FP2 session. Once again, the cause was piles of grass at the edge of the track catching fire, likely due to the high temperatures or sparks from the cars.
FP3 in Japan: session report
05:28 – On the radio, Charles Leclerc complains about the constant red flags, saying he hasn’t been able to complete a good lap. Meanwhile, the session will not resume! The next session is the qualifying at 8:00 AM!
05:24 – Another red flag! Piles of grass are on fire again, at the entrance to 130R. This will definitely be an issue to consider ahead of tomorrow’s race.
05:22 – Lando Norris moves into first position with a 1:27.965, 26 thousandths ahead of Piastri.
05:21 – Lewis Hamilton also improves, as everyone is now in qualifying simulation! He sets a 1:28.524, remaining in fourth place.
05:18 – George Russell improves, closing the gap to less than a tenth behind Oscar Piastri.
05:16 – McLaren returns to form after yesterday: Oscar Piastri is the first driver of the weekend to go under 1:28, setting a 1:27.981. Meanwhile, Pierre Gasly delivers a great lap with the Alpine, taking fifth place, just ahead of Max Verstappen.
05:14 -Yuki Tsunoda moves up to fifth place with soft tires, setting a 1:28.785, just four tenths behind George Russell’s best time.
05:10 – Meanwhile, the McLarens have been stationary in the pits for over 10 minutes. According to Matteo Bobbi from Sky Sport F1, the team is working on the ride heights of both cars.
05:08 – The two Ferraris are now climbing the standings: Leclerc is second, just 29 thousandths behind Russell, while Hamilton is third, one tenth behind his teammate.
05:05 – George Russell moves into first position, making a slight break with a 1:28.385, four tenths ahead of Piastri.
05:03 –Andrea Kimi Antonelli begins his long run on medium tires. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda climbs to sixth place on hard tires, while Max Verstappen’s race simulation ends after ten laps.
04:55 – Charles Leclerc improves with a 1:28.783, just 15 thousandths behind Oscar Piastri.
04:51 – Max Verstappen begins his race simulation, using hard tires as the reigning world champion. Meanwhile, Oscar Piastri moves into first position with a 1:28.768, nearly four tenths faster than Leclerc.
04:48 – Soft tires for McLaren and Ferrari: a temporary one-two for the Maranello team, with Leclerc ahead of Hamilton with a time of 1:29.107. Lando Norris is three tenths behind, while Oscar Piastri is a bit further back due to a mistake in turn 9. Meanwhile, Isack Hadjar returns to the track after resolving issues with his Racing Bulls’ cockpit.
04:44 – Green flag! The session resumes after a 7-minute stop. Only 8 drivers have set a time, with Verstappen leading the standings with a 1:30.397, five tenths ahead of our Andrea Kimi Antonelli.
04:37 – Another red flag, the fifth of the weekend! Once again, as in FP2 yesterday, piles of grass have caught fire, near the hairpin.
04:34 – Immediate problems for Isack Hadjar, a real surprise yesterday with the third-fastest time in FP2. The young French rookie reported issues with the cockpit and has stopped in the pits.
04:30 – Green light! Jack Doohan is the first to hit the track, making a full recovery to participate in the weekend after yesterday’s terrifying crash.
04:25 – Here we go! The final free practice session before qualifying, scheduled for 8:00 AM Italian time. It will be a very important session, especially after FP2 yesterday was nearly completely disrupted by four red flags.
PHOTO: Visa CashApp Racing Bulls, Oracle Red Bull Racing, Mercedes AMG F1 Mclaren F1 Team.