Norris Leads McLaren 1-2: Lando Norris set the pace in the final practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix, leading a strong showing for McLaren. He edged out his teammate Oscar Piastri by a mere 0.026 seconds, demonstrating the MCL38’s strong performance at Suzuka.
Russell Third for Mercedes: George Russell secured third place for Mercedes, finishing just 0.112 seconds behind the leading McLarens. This suggests Mercedes will also be a competitive force heading into qualifying.
Early Red Flag for Track Fire: The session experienced an early interruption when a fire broke out in the grass alongside Turn 12, bringing out the red flags for a short seven-minute period. Jack Doohan, who missed much of FP2 due to his crash, was among the first out on track when the session resumed.
Soft Tyre Running Dominates: After an initial spell with Max Verstappen leading on hard tyres, the times tumbled as drivers switched to the softer Pirelli compounds. Norris initially topped the timesheets, but the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton briefly took turns in the lead.
McLaren’s Final Push: Piastri then set a strong benchmark, going nearly four-tenths clear. However, Norris, after aborting an earlier quick lap, delivered a session-best time of 1:27.965, securing the top spot for McLaren.
Verstappen Fifth, Tsunoda Ninth: Max Verstappen, who had a relatively quiet session until the end, improved on his final soft tyre run to take fifth place for Red Bull. His new teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, finished ninth, three-tenths of a second behind the reigning champion.
Hamilton Sixth, Albon and Gasly in Top Eight: Lewis Hamilton finished sixth for Ferrari, followed by Alex Albon in seventh for Williams and Pierre Gasly in eighth for Alpine.
Practice 3 Results:
- Lando Norris (McLaren/Mercedes) 1:27.965
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren/Mercedes) +0.026
- George Russell (Mercedes) +0.112
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.449
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull/Honda RBPT) +0.532
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.559
- Alexander Albon (Williams/Mercedes) +0.589
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine/Renault) +0.638
- Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull/Honda RBPT) +0.820
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT) +0.821
- Carlos Sainz (Williams/Mercedes) +0.881
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls/Honda RBPT) +1.139
- Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes) +1.161
- Jack Doohan (Alpine/Renault) +1.802
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin/Mercedes) +1.807
- Oliver Bearman (Haas/Ferrari) +2.119
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Sauber/Ferrari) +2.169
- Esteban Ocon (Haas/Ferrari) +2.218
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin/Mercedes) +2.302
- Nico Hülkenberg (Sauber/Ferrari) +2.656
Source : FIA
This article was crafted with assistance from Gemini