Lando Norris was P1 in FP3 for the Japanese Grand Prix. McLaren teammate, Oscar Piastri, followed in P2 andGeorge Russell put his Mercedes in P3. As Max Verstappen could only be P5 in Suzuka.
Given the interrupted running in FP2, the moment the clock started counting down the minutes, nearly half the field took to the track, with Max Verstappen putting his Red Bull P1, as Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Jack Doohan nibbed the gravel on the exit of Degner 2.
As Lewis Hamilton emerged from the garage, the red flag dropped. Not due to an incident, but because the grass, again, caught fire, despite the FIA’s measures to prevent it.
The session was resumed as the clock ticked down the 46 minute mark, and all the drivers were lining up on the pitlane itching to get out.
Lando Norris went to the top of the timesheets on the soft compound with a 1:29.457.
Charles Leclerc then went even faster and took the lead from the McLaren driver. In the second McLaren, Oscar Piastri went off on the exit of Degner 2, and still was able to climb to P3. Which turned into P4 as Hamilton shot up to P2 behind his teammate.
Yuki Tsunoda then placed himself P5 9 tenths behind Leclerc, ahead of Liam Lawson, Fernando Alonso, Max Verstappen in P8, Isaac Hadjar and Carlos Sainz.
George Russell took P5 in his first push lap, as Norris went completely off at Degner 2. However, Piastri put his second push lap together and edged out Leclerc by 3 and a half tenths. However the Monegasque despite not improving on his final two sectors, was able to close up to 15 one thousandths of a second off of the Australian’s lead.
Norris can’t get Degner 2 right, marginally pips Piastri
Sainz then reported Norris for taking a place in the area designated for practice starts at the end of the pitlane as the action resumed following the red flag, with his team responding they would review it.
As the session entered the last 20 minutes, George Russell led from Leclerc and Hamilton, with both McLaren drivers, Piastri and Norris in P4 and P5. Yuki Tsunoda took P6 whilst teammate Verstappen languished in the back in P17.
The Dutchman then put on soft tyres on, beat his teammate by just a tenth. However Piastri put in the fastest lap of the weekend, as the Australian was the first to go under the 1:28’s with a 1:27.991. All this whilst Norris was struggling in Sector 2 having to abandon to consecutive push laps.
However, the Briton was able to put his third lap together, beating Piastri by 0:026s.
As the session reached the 6 minute mark, the grass right before the 130R caught fire bringing out the red flag.
FP3 for the Japanese Grand Prix: Full results
