- Antonelli leads dominant Mercedes 1-2 in FP3, nearly a second clear of chasing pack.
- Norris misses most of FP3 as McLaren’s reliability problems continue to mount.
- Verstappen trails both Audis, raising fresh questions about Red Bull’s prospects.
Kimi Antonelli took control of the Japanese GP weekend on Saturday morning at Suzuka. The 19-year-old Mercedes driver topped final practice with a clear margin, laying down a marker just hours before qualifying. His lap of 1:29.362 put him well ahead of the field and underlined Mercedes’ pace at a key moment.
The session answered the question that McLaren and Ferrari had been quietly asking all weekend: how much more does Mercedes have? Quite a lot, it turns out.
As it happened in the Japanese GP FP3
The session began slowly. Only a handful of drivers set early times, with Lewis Hamilton leading briefly before Charles Leclerc edged ahead.
That changed when Mercedes joined the fight. George Russell set a strong 1:29.616, but Antonelli went faster almost at once. His 1:29.362 stood untouched for the rest of the hour.
Antonelli’s lap put him 0.254 seconds clear of Russell. It also left Leclerc, the best of the rest, more than eight tenths behind. The gap told a clear story.
Ferrari showed flashes but lacked the final step. Leclerc lost time when he ran into traffic at Spoon, while Hamilton admitted he still lacked confidence in the high-speed corners. He finished fifth, over a second off the pace.
McLaren faced a different problem. Lando Norris dealt with more reliability trouble after issues in Shanghai. The team replaced his electric motor and warned a return to the track was “highly unlikely.”
Norris did make it out, but only with 25 minutes left. He ended up sixth, a decent result given the disruption. Still, three separate issues across three sessions raised concern inside the garage.
The midfield brought its own surprises. Audi placed both cars in the top 10, with Nico Hulkenberg seventh and Gabriel Bortoleto ninth. Both finished ahead of Red Bull’s best effort.
Max Verstappen struggled again. He ended eighth and reported problems with gear shifts over the radio. The gap to the front stretched to 1.5 seconds, a rare sight for a driver who has dominated at Suzuka in recent years.
Red Bull’s issues ran deeper. Isack Hadjar finished 11th, leaving the team at risk of missing Q3. What used to be routine now looks uncertain.
There were no major crashes, but one moment stood out. Oliver Bearman spun at Spoon and nearly hit the wall. He held the car and avoided damage, earning praise from Russell for a “good save,” but his tyres were finished and his run ended early.
Traffic caused tension throughout the session. Oscar Piastri faced an investigation for impeding Hulkenberg at 130R. Hulkenberg and Valtteri Bottas both complained over the radio, pointing to the usual congestion at Suzuka.
By the end of FP3, the pattern across the weekend became clear. Mercedes had held something back on Friday. On Saturday, they showed their full pace.
Antonelli’s time was 2.3 seconds faster than Russell’s FP1 benchmark. The track improved, but Mercedes also revealed more speed. The rest of the field now faces a steep climb.
Qualifying will likely come down to the two Mercedes drivers. Antonelli has the edge for now, but Russell remains close. Behind them, Ferrari and McLaren must find time quickly if they want to challenge.
Further back, Red Bull faces a different fight. A place in Q3 is no longer safe for Max Verstappen.
Full FP3 results, 2026 Japanese Grand Prix
| Pos. | Driver | Time | Gap |
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | 1:29.362 | — |
| 2 | George Russell | 1:29.616 | +0.254s |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | 1:30.229 | +0.867s |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | 1:30.364 | +1.002s |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton | 1:30.383 | +1.021s |
| 6 | Lando Norris | 1:30.600 | +1.238s |
| 7 | Nico Hulkenberg | 1:30.658 | +1.296s |
| 8 | Max Verstappen | 1:30.910 | +1.548s |
| 9 | Gabriel Bortoleto | 1:31.000 | +1.638s |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | 1:31.082 | +1.720s |
| 11 | Isack Hadjar | 1:31.094 | +1.732s |
| 12 | Liam Lawson | 1:31.097 | +1.735s |
| 13 | Arvid Lindblad | 1:31.288 | +1.926s |
| 14 | Esteban Ocon | 1:31.326 | +1.964s |
| 15 | Oliver Bearman | 1:31.558 | +2.196s |
| 16 | Alexander Albon | 1:31.733 | +2.371s |
| 17 | Franco Colapinto | 1:31.759 | +2.397s |
| 18 | Carlos Sainz | 1:31.829 | +2.467s |
| 19 | Valtteri Bottas | 1:32.503 | +3.141s |
| 20 | Sergio Perez | 1:32.540 | +3.178s |
| 21 | Lance Stroll | 1:33.485 | +4.123s |
| 22 | Fernando Alonso | 1:33.529 | +4.167s |
