Suzuka, Japan – Reigning world champion Max Verstappen dominated the final practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix by setting the fastest time, outpacing his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez. Following limited running in FP2 due to rain, drivers wasted no time hitting the track as Saturday’s session began under drier conditions.
Despite early spins from Kevin Magnussen and Daniel Ricciardo, the focus shifted to qualifying simulations on the soft tire, with Verstappen leading the pack with a blistering time of 1m 29.563s, leaving Perez trailing by 0.269s. The Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton claimed third and fourth spots, respectively, showing promise in the W15 seen during FP1.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso took fifth place, closely followed by McLaren’s Lando Norris, who was forced to abort a late fast lap. Carlos Sainz secured the seventh-quickest time, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, celebrating his 23rd birthday, in eighth. Home favorite Yuki Tsunoda of Red Bull claimed ninth, while Charles Leclerc rounded out the top 10 in the Ferrari.
The Williams of Alex Albon finished 11th, while Valtteri Bottas of Kick Sauber and Ricciardo followed in 12th and 13th, respectively. Alpine introduced updates for the weekend, with Esteban Ocon taking 14th place and Zhou Guanyu in 15th. Nico Hulkenberg of Haas rounded out the top 16, setting the stage for an exciting race at Suzuka.