Japanese GP – FP3: McLaren Dominates Suzuka FP3 as Rivals Close the Gap

Norris and Piastri top final practice, but Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull remain within striking distance ahead of Japanese GP qualifying.

Suzuka, Japan – McLaren made a strong statement in the final practice session of the Japanese Grand Prix, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri locking out the top two spots ahead of qualifying. Meanwhile, Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull are hot on their heels, setting the stage for an exciting Saturday.

The third and final free practice session got underway under overcast skies but warm track conditions — the tarmac reaching 39°C despite just 14°C in the air. Rain remains in the forecast for race day, adding further uncertainty to the weekend.

Early drama came courtesy of Jack Doohan, who narrowly avoided another incident at Degner after crashing on Friday. He ran wide, dropping two wheels off-track but managed to keep it together.

Max Verstappen set the early pace on hard tyres with a 1:30.397, leading Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), and Liam Lawson (Red Bull), while home hero Yuki Tsunoda impressed with a spot in the provisional top five.

A red flag soon followed due to a trackside fire, the third such incident this weekend. Sparks from the cars once again ignited the dry grass, despite the FIA’s efforts to trim and dampen the track edges.

Once the session resumed with 40 minutes to go, Piastri stormed to the top with a 1:28.768. He remained there for a while as several drivers, including Sainz and Logan Sargeant, struggled — the latter even taking a trip through the grass in Sector 1.

With teams running all three tyre compounds to make up for lost running in FP2, lap times tightened. George Russell then jumped to P1 with a 1:28.385, before Leclerc and Hamilton slotted between him and Piastri. Norris followed closely behind, while Tsunoda, still on hard tyres, sat an impressive sixth.

As the clock ticked down, both Tsunoda and Verstappen switched to softs. Tsunoda slotted between the McLarens, while Verstappen launched his attack, but could only manage fifth — nearly 0.7s off Piastri’s new benchmark of 1:27.991.

Norris later responded with a session-topping 1:27.965, reclaiming the top spot in the final minutes. Behind him, Russell, Leclerc, and Verstappen rounded out the top five, the Red Bull driver unhappy with what he called a “sometimes undriveable” car.

There was a close call for Leclerc, who came across a slow Williams on the racing line and called it “dangerous” over the radio. Soon after, another fire near 130R triggered a final red flag. The session wasn’t restarted.

The top ten was completed by Hamilton, Albon, Gasly, Tsunoda, and rookie Isack Hadjar, all within a tight margin. Sainz, Lawson, Antonelli, and Doohan followed, with Alonso, Bearman, Bortoleto, Ocon, Stroll, and Hülkenberg rounding out the order.

McLaren seems to have found real pace in Suzuka, but with rain looming and fierce rivals close behind, qualifying promises to be anything but predictable.

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Norris Leads Tight FP3 in Japan as Fires Halt Action Norris Leads Tight FP3 in Japan as Fires Halt Action