Kimi Antonelli carried the momentum from his first F1 win in China into final practice at Suzuka, topping Practice Three and outpacing Mercedes team-mate George Russell ahead of Qualifying.
After McLaren appeared quickest on Friday with Oscar Piastri, Mercedes reasserted their expected strength on Saturday morning, this time emphatically. Antonelli set a 1:29.362 to lead the session, 0.254s quicker than Russell, underlining Mercedes’ control of the early weekend form book.
“On the evidence we have seen so far, it looks like an intra‑Mercedes battle for pole,” Sky Sports F1’s Karun Chandhok said, adding that Antonelli “has looked really good” and would be a favourite for qualifying.
Mercedes have taken both pole positions and both wins so far under the new regulations, and their advantage was particularly marked around Suzuka. Charles Leclerc restored Ferrari to third after a difficult Friday, but remained 0.867s off Antonelli, with everyone else a second or more adrift.
Piastri slipped to fourth, while Lewis Hamilton was fifth in the other Ferrari. Lando Norris continued a frustrating weekend: his McLaren required another ERS battery pack change after reliability issues with the Mercedes power unit. A hydraulics leak on Friday had already disrupted his running, and although a fast ERS swap allowed Norris back on track for the final 26 minutes, he managed just 13 laps and finished sixth, 0.2s behind Piastri.
The key consequence for Norris is that he has now used three energy stores in as many race weekends this season; using one more would automatically bring a grid penalty.
Audi impressed in the session, with Nico Hülkenberg seventh and Gabriel Bortoleto ninth, both finishing close to the ‘big four’. The quickest Audi even split Red Bull’s drivers as the RB22 continued to struggle. Max Verstappen was eighth, 1.5s off the pace, reporting gear‑shift issues over team radio. Isack Hadjar was 11th, behind Alpine’s Pierre Gasly in 10th, leaving Red Bull battling the midfield to secure Q3 positions.
Haas’ Oliver Bearman produced the only notable incident, half‑spinning out of Spoon Curve; the young Briton, who has scored points across recent rounds, ended 15th, just behind team‑mate Esteban Ocon.
Aston Martin again found themselves at the back, trailing new entrant Cadillac and finishing about four seconds off the leading pace.
Japanese GP Practice Three Timesheet
1) Kimi Antonelli — Mercedes — 1:29.362
2) George Russell — Mercedes — +0.254
3) Charles Leclerc — Ferrari — +0.867
4) Oscar Piastri — McLaren — +1.002
5) Lewis Hamilton — Ferrari — +1.021
6) Lando Norris — McLaren — +1.238
7) Nico Hülkenberg — Audi — +1.296
8) Max Verstappen — Red Bull — +1.548
9) Gabriel Bortoleto — Audi — +1.638
10) Pierre Gasly — Alpine — +1.720
11) Isack Hadjar — Red Bull — +1.732
12) Liam Lawson — Racing Bulls — +1.735
13) Arvid Lindblad — Racing Bulls — +1.926
14) Esteban Ocon — Haas — +1.964
15) Oliver Bearman — Haas — +2.196
16) Alex Albon — Williams — +2.371
17) Franco Colapinto — Alpine — +2.397
18) Carlos Sainz — Williams — +2.467
19) Valtteri Bottas — Cadillac — +3.141
20) Sergio Perez — Cadillac — +3.178
21) Lance Stroll — Aston Martin — +4.123
22) Fernando Alonso — Aston Martin — +4.167
Sky Sports F1 schedule highlights: Qualifying build‑up and Qualifying on Saturday morning, with Grand Prix coverage continuing on Sunday. Formula 1 remains at the iconic Suzuka Circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend.