Japanese GP: Norris and Piastri top fiery FP3 as grass fires persist

Lando Norris emerged fastest from a chaotic final practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, narrowly edging out McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri by a mere 0.026 seconds.

Team Papaya’s dominant pair was followed in the pecking order by Mercedes’ George Russell, 0.112s adrift while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen completed the top five.

But the final dress rehearsal before qualifying, was disrupted by two red flags caused by more rogue trackside grass fires, an issue that many believed was under control after organizers implemented measures after Friday’s running.

• Japanese Grand Prix Free Practice 3 - Results

Norris initially aborted two soft-tyre qualifying simulations with minor wide moments at the second Degner corner. However, on his third attempt, he pieced together a 1m27.965s lap, finding crucial improvements in the final two sectors to snatch the lead from Piastri.

His flyer remained unbeaten as the session was curtailed by a second grass fire, this time alongside the 130R corner, shortly after a near-miss from Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto.

The session had already been halted after just six minutes due to a fire on the grass between Turn 12 and the chicane. This caused a brief seven-minute delay, after which the times began to tumble. Verstappen initially led on hard tyres, but soft-tyre runs saw Norris move ahead, followed by the Ferraris.

Piastri then reclaimed the top spot, dipping into the 1m28s, before George Russell briefly took over. The Australian responded, breaking into the 1m27s, with Russell just shy. Norris’s later flyer secured him P1.

Russell ultimately finished third, ahead of Charles Leclerc. Verstappen secured fifth on his second soft-tyre run, having earlier described his car as "undriveable" in certain corners despite a suggested differential setting change.

Lewis Hamilton quietly slotted into sixth, ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Yuki Tsunoda finished ninth, and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar rounded out the top ten.

The session wasn’t without its controversies, either: Verstappen and Piastri found themselves under the stewards’ microscope for allegedly flouting race director instructions on practice starts at the pitlane exit.

As the smoke cleared – quite literally – Norris’s late surge underscored McLaren’s pace, but the unpredictable Suzuka stage hinted at more twists to come.

With grass fires, red flags, and a leaderboard tighter than ever, the Japanese Grand Prix weekend is shaping up to be a thriller. Qualifying looms, and the question lingers: can Norris carry this momentum forward, or will the chasing pack strike back?

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