Japanese GP: Mercedes back on top in FP3 with Antonelli fastest

Mercedes turned up the heat in Saturday’s final practice ahead of Japanese Grand Prix qualifying at Suzuka, with Kimi Antonelli comfortably edging teammate George Russell in the session.

The young Italian stormed to the top with a blistering 1m 29.362s, putting 0.254s between himself and Russell. It was a statement lap – not just of speed, but of intent – as the Silver Arrows pair underlined once again their authority heading.

For a session with so much at stake, the opening minutes were surprisingly subdued. Nearly a quarter of the hour ticked by before most of the field dared to venture out, as engineers and strategists played a cautious game.

• Japanese Grand Prix Free Practice 3 - Results

It was Lewis Hamilton who first broke the silence, laying down an early benchmark on soft tyres. But the calm didn’t last long. His Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc quickly edged ahead, dipping into the 1m 31s range and hinting at a brewing fight.

Yet beneath the surface, tension was already building – particularly in the McLaren garage.

Norris struggles while rivals surge

Reigning World Champion Lando Norris endured a frustrating start to the day as lingering ERS issues kept his car confined to the garage. With just 25 minutes remaining, the Brit finally joined the action – but valuable track time had already slipped away.

When Norris did emerge, he slotted into the midfield, ultimately finishing sixth – over a second off the pace. In a session where every lap mattered, it was a costly setback.

Meanwhile, at the front, the pace escalated dramatically.

Lap times tumble amid traffic chaos

Antonelli was the first to truly ignite the session, smashing through the 1m 31s barrier with ease before steadily lowering the benchmark.

Leclerc responded, chipping away at the gap, while Russell lurked close behind in a tightly contested top three.

But Suzuka’s narrow, high-speed layout added its own drama. Traffic became a major talking point, especially through the fearsome 130R corner, where both Nico Hulkenberg and Valtteri Bottas voiced their frustration after near-encounters compromised their laps.

At the halfway stage, Leclerc briefly seized control with a 1m 30.229s, exposing a relative weakness in the Mercedes cars through the final sector. But the Silver Arrows were far from done.

As the clock ticked down, the gloves came off.

Antonelli shattered the 1m 30 barrier for the first time all weekend, only for Russell to edge him moments later by the slimmest of margins – just 0.011s. The duel was on.

But Antonelli had the final word. Hooking up a near-perfect lap, he unleashed a 1m 29.362s that left the rest trailing, and ultimately stood unbeaten at the chequered flag.

Behind the Mercedes pair, Leclerc held onto third, albeit a distant eight-tenths back. Oscar Piastri impressed in fourth, followed by Hamilton and the recovering Norris.

Incidents, errors, and close calls

Further down the order, the session delivered no shortage of heart-stopping moments.

Haas rookie Ollie Bearman had one of the biggest scares, spinning dramatically on the exit of Spoon Curve. Somehow, he avoided the barriers – an escape that drew gasps up and down the pit lane.

Meanwhile, Sergio Perez took an unplanned trip through the gravel at the final chicane, costing him valuable time and leaving him near the back of the field.

Even reigning champion teams weren’t immune to struggles. Max Verstappen could only manage eighth, while both Aston Martins languished over four seconds off the pace.

As the dust settled on a frantic FP3, one thing was clear: Mercedes had laid down a serious marker.

But with Suzuka’s unforgiving layout and the field still tightly packed behind, the stage is set for a dramatic Qualifying. If FP3 was anything to go by, the fight for pole position could be one of the most intense battles of the season so far.

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