Lando Norris finished at the top of the final practice session at the Japanese Grand Prix. Grass fires near the Suzuka track caused ongoing disruptions as teams prepared for qualifying.
Despite struggling with car control for much of the session, Drivers` Championship leader Norris clocked a best time of 1:27.965s. This was just a fraction faster than his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri.
George Russell in the Mercedes appeared to be the closest challenger to McLaren, finishing just a tenth of a second behind Norris.
Ferrari did not seem to have the pace to compete with McLaren, with Charles Leclerc in fourth and Lewis Hamilton in sixth, both over half a second slower than the McLarens.
World champion Max Verstappen was fifth, splitting the Ferraris, but reported over the radio that his Red Bull car was unstable.
Verstappen`s teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, making his debut for Red Bull, was ninth, a few tenths behind Verstappen. Alex Albon of Williams and Pierre Gasly of Alpine were ahead of him.
The session faced interruptions due to grass fires, with a second red flag occurring with seven minutes remaining, preventing many teams from completing their qualifying simulations. An earlier red flag due to fire also caused delay. This follows two red flags in Friday`s practice sessions for the same reason.
Despite the FIA`s efforts to dampen the grass before the session, the possibility of further disruptions during qualifying remains, potentially impacting Sunday`s race.
McLaren seems to be performing as expected after strong results in previous races. Although Norris topped the session, he had moments running into the gravel, suggesting he is still searching for optimal car balance. Piastri and Russell are poised to capitalize on any mistakes.
Jack Doohan of Alpine, returning after a crash in second practice caused by a DRS issue, finished in 14th position.
Japanese GP Practice Three Results
| Driver | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1) Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:27.965 |
| 2) Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.026 |
| 3) George Russell | Mercedes | +0.112 |
| 4) Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.449 |
| 5) Max Verstappen | Red Bull | +0.532 |
| 6) Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.559 |
| 7) Alex Albon | Williams | +0.589 |
| 8) Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +0.638 |
| 9) Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | +0.820 |
| 10) Isack Hadjar | RB | +0.821 |
| 11) Carlos Sainz | Williams | +0.881 |
| 12) Liam Lawson | RB | +1.139 |
| 13) Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +1.161 |
| 14) Jack Doohan | Alpine | +1.802 |
| 15) Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +1.807 |
| 16) Oliver Bearman | Haas | +2.119 |
| 17) Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | +2.169 |
| 18) Esteban Ocon | Haas | +2.218 |
| 19) Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | +2.302 |
| 20) Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber | +2.656 |
The FIA stated they would focus on further dampening the grass before the Qualifying session.
Marcus Prine