Andrea Kimi Antonelli delivered a commanding performance in final practice at the Japanese Grand Prix, steering his Mercedes to the fastest lap ahead of teammate George Russell as the Silver Arrows emerged as clear qualifying favorites. The 18-year-old rookie’s best effort of 1m29.362s demonstrated Mercedes’ resurgent form after a more cautious approach to Friday’s sessions, with Russell trailing by just 0.254 seconds. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc slotted into third, over eight-tenths adrift, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lewis Hamilton occupied fourth and fifth positions respectively. The gap between the front-runners and their nearest challengers suggested Mercedes has found a significant setup window ahead of Saturday’s qualifying session at Suzuka.
Mercedes hits stride with calculated approach
The reigning constructors’ champions had deliberately played down their pace on Friday, focusing on tire management and data collection rather than pushing for headline times. That strategy bore fruit in FP3, where both drivers immediately found significant improvements over their previous sessions. Antonelli’s initial soft-tire lap set the standard at 1m29.929s—the first sub-1m30 effort of the day—before the rookie bettered that by over half a second with 18 minutes remaining. Russell’s response came swiftly, clocking 1m29.618s, but Antonelli had one more sting in his tail, extracting a final 0.256-second improvement to secure the session. The margin to third place represented the kind of buffer Mercedes needed to head into qualifying with genuine confidence, particularly given the competitiveness of Ferrari and McLaren over recent weekends.
Leclerc’s recovery hampered by late backing off
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished third fastest but acknowledged he left performance on the track. The Monegasque driver backed off during his final hot lap, a conservative approach that ultimately cost him eight-tenths to Antonelli’s benchmark time. That decision may have been influenced by the incremental nature of improvements throughout the session or simply a cautious final run, but Leclerc’s 1m30.229s still represented respectable pace in third. Lewis Hamilton, now driving for Ferrari after his high-profile move from Mercedes, finished fifth at 1m30.383s, just 0.019 seconds behind Oscar Piastri in fourth. The three-car fight between Ferrari and McLaren sets up a fascinating qualifying battle, though Mercedes’ margin suggests they hold a decisive advantage heading into Saturday afternoon.
McLaren’s engine troubles derail Norris
McLaren’s session proved frustrating after a forced power unit replacement for Lando Norris stemmed from electrical issues that have plagued the team recently. Following a double non-finish in Shanghai just weeks earlier, the decision to swap the electric motor represented a precautionary measure that left the team uncertain whether their world champion driver would even take to the track. Norris did eventually emerge in the final half of the session and managed to close the gap to the frontrunners toward the end, eventually finishing sixth at 1m30.600s. His late-running start meant he completed just 13 laps compared to the 18-20 managed by rivals, and that limited mileage likely cost him valuable data ahead of qualifying. For a team fighting to secure the constructors’ championship, this latest power unit concern adds unwelcome pressure.
Verstappen’s nightmare continues at Suzuka
Max Verstappen endured another deeply frustrating session, continuing the difficult form that plagued his Friday running. The four-time world champion reported a “massive” lack of front grip through high-speed corners while simultaneously struggling with what he described as “horrendous downshifts” that made finding a stable setup window impossible. His eighth-place finish, 1.548 seconds behind Antonelli, represented a significant gap by his standards and raised questions about whether Red Bull’s traditional overnight setup improvements would be enough to address the fundamental issues affecting the RB21. Those problems—a combination of oversteer and understeer that drivers describe as impossible to manage—suggested the car’s balance requires more than minor adjustment to be competitive in qualifying.
Backmarkers continue to struggle
Further down the order, Aston Martin’s conservative approach with their Honda power units left Lance Stroll and Fernando Alonso propping up the timing sheets at 1m33.485s and 1m33.529s respectively—over four seconds down on Antonelli. Cadillac’s Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez similarly showed the gap between the grid’s established teams and new entries, conceding 3.1 seconds despite testing an upgraded package. These margins underline the competitive reality facing new and struggling teams when tackling one of Formula 1’s most technically demanding circuits.
Setting the stage for Saturday’s shootout
With Mercedes demonstrating clear superiority ahead of qualifying, the session order suggests a potential 1-2 lockout remains within reach for the Silver Arrows. Ferrari and McLaren will need to find half a second or more to challenge for pole position, while Red Bull Racing faces the significant challenge of rectifying fundamental balance issues in a compressed timeframe. Qualifying begins at 3pm local time, with Verstappen’s team needing to deliver one of their characteristic improvements to avoid a complete qualifying disaster at what is traditionally a strong venue for the Dutchman.
