Kimi Antonelli struck back to lead a dominant Mercedes 1-2 in final practice for the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix as Lando Norris endured further trouble with reported McLaren ERS pack issue.
Antonelli delivered a blistering lap time of 1:29.362 to beat teammate George Russell by just 0.254 seconds, positioning the Silver Arrows as the clear favourites heading to qualifying.
As the clock ticked into the 60-minute session under clear skies and mild temperatures around 20 degrees Celsius, the Suzuka circuit buzzed with anticipation following a competitive Friday where McLaren and Ferrari had shown flickers of resistance.
Only 21 cars took to the track initially, as McLaren engineers worked feverishly on Lando Norris‘s machine, diagnosing an ERS pack issue that delayed his garage exit until just 25 minutes remained—a frustrating continuation of reliability gremlins that plagued the team in FP2.
Alpine’s Franco Colapinto was the first driver out of the pits and had the track to himself as he laid down a 1:33.665, before Lewis Hamilton delivered the first proper push lap at 1:32.283 to take the lead.
Mercedes, however, took hold of the session with Kimi Antonelli and George Russell venturing out on soft tires in the middle phase to ultimately become the first drivers to breach the 1:30 barrier this weekend.
Antonelli’s initial flying lap of 1:30.418 hinted at untapped potential, but it was his subsequent effort—a flawless 1:29.929—that shattered the morning’s records, showcasing Mercedes’ superior straight-line speed and cornering grip refined overnight.
Russell responded aggressively, trading purple sectors with his teammate through Degner 1 and 2 but a minor lock-up at Spoon cost him a couple of tenths, settling for second with 1:29.616.
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Their long-run simulations later in the stint, focusing on race pace over 15 laps, averaged around 1:32s per lap, promising a formidable challenge in Sunday’s Grand Prix if tyre degradation holds steady on Suzuka’s abrasive surface.
Ferrari mounted a brief challenge, with Charles Leclerc leaping to provisional top spot on a 1:30.229 midway through, his scarlet SF-26 dancing through the Spoon complex with characteristic rotation.
Yet, Leclerc’s momentum faltered in the closing stages when he ran wide at Spoon, mirroring a separate excursion by Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson who veered off while dodging traffic, triggering yellow flags that disrupted the field’s rhythm.
Lewis Hamilton shadowed his teammate closely in fifth, just 0.154s off Leclerc, but his session included a scruffy lap compromised by traffic from Hulkenberg and Bottas in the final sector.
McLaren’s split fortunes in final Japanese GP practice painted a picture of resilience amid adversity, with Oscar Piastri extracting every ounce from his MCL40 to claim fourth, 1.002s off Antonelli’s benchmark. Norris, however, was limited to just a handful of laps after his late entry, mustering sixth place.
Audi sprang a surprise in the midfield melee with Nico Hulkenberg piloting his way to a creditable seventh, while teammate Gabriel Bortoleto followed in ninth despite a minor off-track moment that sparked brief concerns over grass fires.
Max Verstappen languished in eighth as his RB22 continued struggling with rear stability through the Esses despite tweaks to the floor setup; a late push yielded purple in sector two but traffic blunted his best effort.
Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar also endured the same, his raw pace evident but undercut by balance issues that have hampered the team’s form.
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