Red Bull will head into Saturday’s Japanese GP qualifying as clear favourites for pole after Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez topped the third and final practice in Suzuka.
The drama-free session saw Verstappen edge his teammate by 0.269s, the pair overhauling in the closing minutes of running the Mercedes’ duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton.
Fernando Alonso put his freshly updated Aston Martin AMR24 to good use, the Spaniard setting the fifth fastest lap ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris, while Ferrari were conspicuously absent from the group of frontrunners.
After Friday’s limited running in FP2 due to the damp conditions, one anticipated a busy – and dry – final session ahead of qualifying.
Logan Sargeant was back in action after his crash in FP1 and subsequent repairs, while Fernando Alonso took to the track onboard Aston Martin’s new-spec car after the team updated the Spaniard’s machine with the components successfully validated by Lance Stroll on Friday.
All three compounds were on show in the opening minutes of the session, with a soft-shod Hamilton setting the early benchmark from Verstappen – who complained of wobbly mirrors on his RB20 – and McLaren’s birthday boy Oscar Piastri who turns 23 on this day.
Fifteen minutes in, all drivers save Norris and both Alpine chargers, had completed a timed lap. But once the McLaren driver got going, he promptly displaced his teammate in third place.
As the first half of the session unfolded, most teams appeared focused on long runs, having missed the opportunity in FP2, which delayed qualifying simulations.
Radio chatter indicated that both Verstappen and Perez were unimpressed with their car’s behaviour, with understeer cited as their main beef.
Meanwhile, George Russell was last on the times, his car up on the jacks in the Mercedes garage. But after a lull in the action, the Briton broke the silence and head out, a fresh set of softs bolted on to his W15.
And there was no hanging about for Russell who went top, overhauling Hamilton. But things heated up as qualifying-style laps kicked in and the. timing screen lit up with green and purple all over.
The flurry of laps saw both Red Bull drivers jump to the top despite their earlier complaints, with Verstappen setting a 1m29.563 that edged Perez by 0.269s.
Behind the leading Red Bull/Mercedes combo, and seconds before the checkered flag dropped, Alonso sneaked into the top five, dropping Norris to sixth.
Ther were frustrations in the Ferrari camp, with Sainz and Leclerc concluding the final dress rehearsal ahead of qualifying a disappointing P7 and P10.
The Monegasque appeared particularly irritated by how the Scuderia’s run plan had unfolded, feeling he had spent too much time in the garage and suggesting he had missed out on a quali sim.
Piastri and Tsunoda ended FP3 sandwiched between the Italian cars, while Alex Albon headed the second half of the field, while Sargeant was P19.
The spread among the top 20 was 1.899s, with Haas’ Kevin Magnussen closing out the field.
Red Bull holds a clear advantage heading into qualifying while Mercedes has staked its claim as best of the rest, but Ferrari, McLaren and Aston Martin will be ready to pounce.
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