Mercedes answered its Friday struggles in emphatic fashion at Sepang on Saturday morning, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli setting the pace in the final practice session for the returning Malaysian Grand Prix.
The Italian put his heavily upgraded W17 at the top with a 1m36.302s, edging Max Verstappen by 0.278s and giving Mercedes a much-needed boost after a subdued opening day.
Mercedes had looked vulnerable on Friday, with Antonelli and George Russell managing only second and fifth in FP1 before slipping to seventh and eighth in FP2 as rivals appeared to extract more from their cars.
That picture changed dramatically in FP3.
Antonelli initially moved to the top with a 1m36.924s, briefly surrendering first place to Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and then Isack Hadjar as the leading drivers began their qualifying simulations.
Hadjar looked particularly threatening after vaulting to the top with a 1m36.860s in his Red Bull, but Antonelli had the final word.
The 20-year-old delivered a 1m36.302s to reclaim the advantage before Verstappen responded with a 1m36.580s, putting both Red Bulls inside the top three for the second time this weekend.
Russell ended up fourth, 0.610s off his team-mate, while Leclerc placed fifth for Ferrari ahead of Lewis Hamilton.
McLaren still searching for answers
McLaren’s difficult return to Sepang continued, with the reigning constructors’ champions again unable to match the leading Mercedes and Red Bull machinery.
Norris finished seventh with a 1m37.161s, set on the medium compound, while Oscar Piastri was eighth in 1m37.366s. The Australian was more than a second off Antonelli’s benchmark.
That represented another frustrating session for McLaren after Norris and Piastri had finished only 11th and 12th respectively in FP1.
Franco Colapinto and Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad completed the top ten.
Tyres add another variable
For the first time this weekend, drivers also sampled the hard compound, with Leclerc setting an early 1m37.772s on the white-striped rubber.
Tyre degradation had been a major concern on Sepang’s hot, low-grip surface, although the anticipated Malaysian rain remained conspicuously absent.
A brief red flag interrupted proceedings when debris flew from Oliver Bearman’s Haas at Turn 10, costing around eight minutes and compressing the final qualifying runs.
After three entirely dry sessions, however, the biggest question heading into qualifying is no longer whether Mercedes has found its pace — Antonelli has provided a fairly emphatic answer to that.
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