Lando Norris closed out final practice at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix by going quickest for McLaren, narrowly ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri in a session where trackside grass fires once again disrupted running and raised concerns just hours before qualifying. The 2025 season’s third round continued its theme of unpredictability at Suzuka, as the final hour of practice was suspended twice due to smouldering patches of grass ignited by the sparks from ground-hugging cars.
What To Know?
- Lando Norris topped FP3 with a 1:27.965, narrowly beating McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri as the team continued their dominant form heading into qualifying at Suzuka.
- Trackside grass fires caused two red flags, disrupting running and leaving several drivers unable to complete full qualifying simulations, despite FIA efforts to prevent repeat incidents from FP2.
- George Russell remained McLaren’s closest challenger in P3, while Verstappen could only manage fifth amid handling issues and a looming investigation, as Tsunoda placed ninth on his Red Bull home debut.
Despite multiple off-track moments and what appeared to be a challenging balance on his MCL39, Norris pulled together a 1:27.965 to top the timesheets for the second time this weekend, edging out Piastri by just 0.026s. It was far from a smooth session for the championship leader, who twice ran wide at the second Degner curve, but when it counted, he delivered. McLaren’s one-lap dominance in 2025 remained intact, and their back-to-back practice lockouts underscored just how well-suited the car was to Suzuka’s high-speed complexity.
George Russell continued to be McLaren’s closest challenger, ending the session in third with a time just over a tenth off Norris. The Mercedes looked lively, particularly during qualifying simulations, suggesting Russell could realistically break the papaya stranglehold when it mattered later in qualifying. Ferrari, on the other hand, looked less convincing. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton slotted into fourth and sixth, respectively, on either side of a frustrated Max Verstappen, who was only fifth and sounded off over team radio with: “This car is all over the shop.”
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The reigning champion’s Red Bull continued to appear unpredictable, and while Max’s lap time was fair, the gap to the McLarens was telling. Verstappen would also face a post-session investigation for allegedly not following the Race Director’s instructions, alongside Piastri—potentially adding further drama before the grid was set.
Home favourite Yuki Tsunoda, still finding his feet in the senior Red Bull after his sudden promotion from Racing Bulls, managed ninth, three tenths off Verstappen’s time. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly finished eighth and Alex Albon showed strong form for Williams in seventh, both ahead of Tsunoda. Isack Hadjar rounded out the top 10 for Racing Bulls, continuing his quietly impressive rookie campaign.
Carlos Sainz narrowly missed the top 10 in 11th as he continued adjusting to life at Williams, ahead of Liam Lawson, who was back at Racing Bulls after his short-lived stint with Red Bull. Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli finished 13th, with Jack Doohan in 14th after returning to the track following his high-speed FP2 crash—caused, Alpine confirmed, by a DRS deactivation issue approaching Turn 1.
Further down, Fernando Alonso struggled for rhythm and ended up 15th in his Aston Martin, while Haas rookie Ollie Bearman led the lower half of the field in 16th. Gabriel Bortoleto recovered from a late moment at the wheel of his Kick Sauber to place 17th, ahead of Esteban Ocon, Lance Stroll, and Nico Hulkenberg.
The session was twice interrupted by fires sparked by hot sparks igniting dry grass around the circuit—an issue that plagued FP2 as well. Despite the FIA’s attempts to cut and dampen the grass before FP3, the problem persisted, resulting in two more red flags. The final stoppage came with just minutes remaining, preventing several drivers from completing their planned qualifying simulations. In a statement after the session, the FIA confirmed it would focus all available resources on further dampening the affected areas before qualifying.
With McLaren continuing to lead the way and Red Bull under pressure, the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix was shaping up for a qualifying session packed with both pace and uncertainty.
2025 Japanese GP FP3 Results
2025 Japanese Grand Prix FP3, 5 April 2025
| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:27.965 | 17 | |
| 2 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:27.991 | +0.026s | 17 |
| 3 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:28.077 | +0.112s | 15 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:28.414 | +0.449s | 13 |
| 5 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:28.497 | +0.532s | 21 |
| 6 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:28.524 | +0.559s | 13 |
| 7 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:28.554 | +0.589s | 19 |
| 8 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:28.603 | +0.638s | 15 |
| 9 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:28.785 | +0.820s | 15 |
| 10 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:28.786 | +0.821s | 16 |
| 11 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes | 1:28.846 | +0.881s | 22 |
| 12 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT | 1:29.104 | +1.139s | 19 |
| 13 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:29.126 | +1.161s | 20 |
| 14 | 7 | Jack Doohan | Alpine Renault | 1:29.767 | +1.802s | 15 |
| 15 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:29.772 | +1.807s | 17 |
| 16 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari | 1:30.084 | +2.119s | 17 |
| 17 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:30.134 | +2.169s | 13 |
| 18 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari | 1:30.183 | +2.218s | 17 |
| 19 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:30.267 | +2.302s | 16 |
| 20 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:30.621 | +2.656s | 17 |
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