Mercedes has arrived at qualifying with maximum momentum after rookie Kimi Antonelli topped the timesheets in a commanding final practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix, leading a Silver Arrows one-two that sends a clear warning shot to the rest of the grid.

As the clock wound down and the Suzuka circuit rubbered in, Antonelli unleashed a blistering 1m 29.362s—the fastest lap of the weekend thus far—to finish 0.254s clear of teammate George Russell. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc rounded out the top three, though the Monegasque ended the session eight-tenths adrift of the benchmark, highlighting the gap Mercedes appeared to unlock in FP3.

“We’re in a strong window,” the performance suggested, with the W15 looking hooked up through the high-speed sweeps of the figure-eight layout.

Norris Hampered by ERS Glitch

While Oscar Piastri slotted into a comfortable fourth for McLaren, it was a truncated session for his teammate Lando Norris. The Briton was sidelined for a significant portion of the hour due to an ERS (Energy Recovery System) issue, leaving him on the back foot in terms of mileage heading into qualifying. Despite the disruption, Norris managed to place sixth on the timing screens.

Audi Shows Encouraging Pace

There was a notable upturn in form for the Audi-branded squad, as Nico Hulkenberg propelled himself to seventh, delivering a confidence-boosting performance. Rookie teammate Gabriel Bortoleto was just a few tenths further back in ninth, giving the team useful momentum heading into the 1500 local qualifying session.

Bearman Walks the Tightrope

Haas driver Ollie Bearman provided a moment of late drama, catching a snap coming out of Turn 14 after running wide at Spoon. The young Briton executed a rapid save to avoid a spin, keeping the VF-25 out of the barriers as the session drew to a close.

With the pecking order appearing to shuffle behind Mercedes, all eyes now turn to qualifying, where the true competitive order for the Japanese Grand Prix will be set.

Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris also showed competitive speed, finishing inside the top four, confirming McLaren’s strong form at Suzuka.

Hot on their heels, Kimi Antonelli secured P2 for Mercedes, just +0.092s behind, while George Russell followed in P3, completing another solid session for the Silver Arrows.

Ferrari in the Mix, But Slightly Behind

Both Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton placed within the top six for Ferrari, but were still over seven tenths off the pace, suggesting there’s work to be done ahead of qualifying.

Red Bull Struggles Continue?

It was a less dominant showing from Max Verstappen, who could only manage P10 for Red Bull Racing, over a second down on the leader. The team appears to be searching for balance on the challenging Suzuka circuit.

George Russell topped the timing sheets with an impressive lap, narrowly edging out his teammate Kimi Antonelli, who finished just +0.026s behind. This strong 1–2 finish highlights Mercedes’ promising form heading into the weekend.

Meanwhile, Lando Norris secured P3 for McLaren, followed closely by teammate Oscar Piastri in fourth place, reinforcing McLaren’s consistent pace.

Rounding out the top five was Charles Leclerc representing Ferrari, showing competitive speed but still a few tenths off the leaders.