Kimi Antonelli topped the final practice session for Formula 1's Japanese Grand Prix, leading a Mercedes 1-2 ahead of teammate George Russell. The pair dominated FP3 at Suzuka by a significant margin over Ferrari and McLaren rivals. Qualifying follows at 3pm local time.
Mercedes asserted dominance in the third free practice (FP3) for the Japanese Grand Prix, the third round of the 2026 F1 season. Kimi Antonelli set the pace with a best lap of 1:29.392, ahead of George Russell by 0.254 seconds at 1:29.616. Antonelli's time led all three sectors, building on Mercedes' strategy after conserving pace on Friday's sessions, where Oscar Piastri of McLaren topped FP2 with 1:30.118 implied from context. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc managed third place at 1:30.229, backing off his final lap to widen his 0.867-second deficit. Piastri finished fourth at 1:30.364, just ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the second Ferrari at 1:30.383. McLaren faced challenges as Lando Norris, the world champion, required an electric motor replacement after power unit issues from Shanghai's double DNS. Norris emerged late and climbed to sixth. Nico Hulkenberg surprised in seventh for Audi at 1:30.600, despite a 1.3-second gap, amid midfield struggles. Max Verstappen endured a tough session for Red Bull, reporting a 'massive lack of front grip in high-speed corners' and 'horrendous downshifts,' settling for eighth at 1:30.910 after oversteer and understeer plagued his car. Audi's Gabriel Bortoleto and Alpine's Pierre Gasly completed the top 10, over 1.6 seconds off Antonelli. Oliver Bearman spun at Spoon for Haas, earning praise from Russell for a 'good save.' Cadillac's Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez lagged at +3.1 seconds, testing upgrades, while Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso trailed furthest with +4.1 seconds amid Honda engine woes. The session passed without major incidents beyond impeding.
