ANTONELLI LEADS MERCEDES ONE-TWO IN FP3 AS RIVALS STRUGGLE AT SUZUKA
Andrea Kimi Antonelli was the fastest driver in FP3 at the Japanese Grand Prix, finishing ahead of his teammate George Russell and confirming the strong pace of Mercedes over one lap. Behind them came Ferrari and McLaren, with Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri leading their teams, followed by Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris.
Ferrari showed some good signs early in the session, but both drivers had problems with energy management during their fast laps. This affected their performance, and the team suggested changes over the radio, especially in how the drivers used the throttle.
Meanwhile, McLaren continued to struggle with reliability, as Norris only joined the session in the final 30 minutes due to a battery issue. It has been a difficult start to the season for the team, which has already lost valuable track time in recent race weekends.
Red Bull Racing also had a challenging session, with Max Verstappen finishing only eighth. On the other hand, Audi impressed by placing both cars in the top ten, with Nico Hülkenberg in seventh and Gabriel Bortoleto in ninth. Pierre Gasly completed the top ten.
The session started early in the morning in Japan, with teams preparing for the final hour before qualifying. McLaren confirmed a problem with Norris’ ERS system, which had to be replaced, making it unlikely he would take part in most of FP3. At the same time, Pirelli increased rear tire pressure by 1 psi, reducing grip levels on track. Teams were using the hardest compounds available: C1, C2, and C3.
At the beginning, only a few drivers went out on track, including Franco Colapinto, who was the first to set a lap time. Later, more drivers joined, including Hamilton, who set the early benchmark on soft tires. Leclerc soon improved on that time, showing better pace as Ferrari tried to recover from Friday’s difficulties.
Mercedes quickly showed its speed, with Antonelli going much faster than Ferrari in the early stages. Russell also stayed close to the front, while Red Bull delayed its run plan and focused on testing new updates on Verstappen’s car.
As the session progressed, Ferrari improved its setup compared to Friday, with Leclerc briefly leading the session. However, Mercedes remained the strongest overall, especially in the first sector. Norris eventually returned to the track late in the session after his car issues were resolved, setting a time that showed the problem had been fixed.
In the final runs, most teams switched to new soft tires. Antonelli set the fastest lap of the session with a 1:29.362, staying ahead of Russell. While other drivers improved in the closing minutes, Mercedes remained out of reach.
Ferrari still struggled with energy deployment, with both Leclerc and Hamilton losing time during their laps. The team admitted over the radio that the issue was not the drivers’ fault and suggested adjustments to improve performance. Norris managed to finish sixth despite limited running, while Verstappen continued to face problems and ended the session in eighth.
In the end, Mercedes confirmed itself as the team to beat ahead of qualifying, with Antonelli leading a one-two finish, while Ferrari and McLaren continue to search for answers before the fight for pole position.
Share this content:
