Lando Norris retained top spot for McLaren in FP3 of F1 Japanese GP ahead of Oscar Piastri, with George Russell rounding out the Top 3.
It started off with a red flag in FP3 in F1 Japanese GP at Suzuka after fire caused another stoppage despite the organizers cutting the grass and making it soggy. There was another fire at the end of the session at 130R, which ended the running a couple of minutes early.
Replays showed Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto’s moment on the grass at the right side which ignited the fire. This left the drivers with no practice start on the grid, even though they got about 45 to 50 minutes of running. In that period, there were different strategies out on display.
In the end, it was another McLaren 1-2 with Lando Norris (1m27.965s) ahead of Oscar Piastri by just the 0.026s margin, as Mercedes’ George Russell kept his nose ahead of the rest in third. Both the McLaren drivers put a wheel on the gravel earlier in the session, especially at Turn 9.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fourth with Lewis Hamilton in sixth after Red Bull’s Max Verstappen improved on his last attempt to end up fifth. Williams’ Alexander Albon and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly made good strides in seventh and eighth, where the Frenchman felt much better than before.
Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda was ninth as he continued his blending in programme, as Visa Cash App RB’s Isack Hadjar rounded out the Top 10. His teammate Liam Lawson was 12th behind Williams’ Carlos Sainz. The Spaniard had a grass moment at Turn 6 due to a snap.
Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli left it late to set a quick lap on the soft tyre to be only 13th from Alpine’s Jack Doohan. The Australian had his car built well and fortunately, he didn’t to change anything on the power unit side. He did have a moment at Turn 9 like the McLaren drivers.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was 15th from Haas’ Oliver Bearman, with Bortoleto in 17th from Haas’ Esteban Ocon in 18th, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll 19th and Sauber’s Nico Hulkenberg 20th. Russell, meanwhile, took his second Energy Store and Control Electronics ahead of FP3.
Here’s Russell’s element change: https://www.fia.com/system/files/decision-document/2025_japanese_grand_prix_-_new_pu_elements_for_this_competition_0.pdf
Here’s what was said after Friday in F1 Japanese GP
