Japanese Grand Prix – Free Practice 3: Max Verstappen without competition

Just a few hours before qualifying, the third free practice session is taking place. This ultimate preparatory session aims to validate the settings to be used in the race and also to be effective in the following session.

A first part of the session with little activity

We observe little running during the first thirty minutes, an average of seven laps per driver. Apart from AlphaTauri, who was testing on medium tires, all the other competitors had fitted soft tires to confirm the final adjustments ahead of the qualifying session.

Max Verstappen immediately set the foundation for an excellent timed lap by taking the fastest time and, most importantly, not giving any opportunity for the competition to do better.

His teammate Sergio Perez is still struggling to catch up and remains one second behind the reigning world champion.

On their side, McLaren confirms its good form and the quality of the improvements made to the orange and black car. It’s Lando Norris, as the team leader, who is challenging Verstappen’s best time. To his credit, Norris still needs to learn the specificities of the complex Japanese circuit as well as his car. Indeed, one week after Norris, the technical upgrades are implemented on his car.

At the back of the pack, struggling, we find the two AlphaTauris and the Alpines as well as Lance Stroll.

End of session without suspense

Esteban Ocon benefits from a fourth engine starting from this practice session. Despite this new engine and a set of new soft tyres, the verdict is clear: the Alpine lacks grip and traction. Accelerating out of corners is challenging, and several tenths of a second are lost in the process. Ocon is credited with the 13th fastest time.

For the last ten minutes, all drivers will test one final time their ability to achieve the fastest lap.

In this game, it is Verstappen once again who knocks out the competition. He improves his lap time from the beginning of the session by seven tenths. The strength of the Red Bull, and the Dutch driver, is clearly the first sector, a series of high-speed corners.

The second strength of this session is McLaren. Norris and Piastri once again prove that they will have to be reckoned with for podiums in both races and qualifying. They remain two/three tenths behind the leader, lacking slightly in top speed.

Sergio Perez continues to struggle until the end of the session, barely approaching his teammate’s lap time at the start of the session. He is therefore fourth, seven tenths behind Verstappen in the same Red Bull. Right behind him are the two Ferraris, followed by the two Mercedes.

There are clearly two categories at the end of this session, Max Verstappen and the McLarens, and then the rest of the pack led by Sergio Perez. Pierre Gasly at the back of the grid proves the difficulties for the French in finding the right balance and especially having to deal with a certain lack of engine power.

Results table