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F1 Japanese GP: Norris leads McLaren 1-2 as grass fires interrupt practice

Lando Norris closed out Japanese Grand Prix practice with the fastest time, just 0.026 seconds ahead of McLaren Formula 1 team-mate Oscar Piastri, as the session faced two red flags due to grass fires.

The championship leader aborted two hot laps during his late-session qualifying simulations on soft tyres due to minor wide moments on the exit of the second Degner corner, but rallied on his third attempt to set a 1m27.965s.

Although Norris did not beat his best first sector time on that lap, he found further improvement in the final two sectors to snatch the best lap from Piastri.

This could not be beaten in the late-session flurry of hot laps of soft tyres; Norris's timesheet-topper was followed by a grass fire - the second of the session - on the grass alongside 130R.

Sauber's Gabriel Bortoleto had run marginally wide here on the entry to the flat-out left-hander, and just about saved his car from spinning off into the opposite wall. Moments later, the grass here caught fire to bring the session to a close.

Despite overnight attempts to quell any further grass fires, the first of the two FP3 red flags was brought out after just six minutes of running, as the island of grass between Turn 12 and the chicane used for motorbike racing at the Suzuka course was ignited.

George Russell, Mercedes (Photo by: Peter Fox - Getty Images)

This led to a short seven-minute delay, leaving Max Verstappen's first timed run on hards perched at the top of the order. But his time was quickly brushed aside by a series of soft-tyre laps on the restart, as Norris shuffled ahead on his first play for a lap; in turn, the Briton was deposed by the two Ferraris.

Piastri then reclaimed top spot, bringing the times into the 1m28s ballpark, before George Russell eclipsed him at the head of the leaderboard. The Australian bounced back to sink below the 1m27s bracket, which Russell found himself almost a tenth shy of entering - but this was simply the prelude to Norris's later move to the top.

Russell shook out in third ahead of Charles Leclerc, while Verstappen got a late upgrade to fifth after his initial soft tyre run - he had been just a tenth ahead of new team-mate Yuki Tsunoda before the Dutchman was offered a second attempt. He found the car "undriveable" at certain corners, after being offered a chance of a change in diff settings by engineer Gianpiero Lambiase.

Lewis Hamilton was sixth ahead of Alex Albon, who sat ahead of Pierre Gasly, Tsunoda - who didn't get a chance to close in on Verstappen late into the session - and Isack Hadjar. Carlos Sainz was 11th, after surviving an excursion at Turn 6 due to a snap of oversteer.

Both Verstappen and Piastri were pinged by the stewards having appeared to not follow the race director's instructions governing practice starts on the pitlane exit.

F1 Japanese GP – FP3 results

   
1
 - 
4
   
   
1
 - 
2
   
Cla Driver # Chassis Engine Laps Time Interval Tyres km/h
1 United Kingdom L. Norris McLaren 4 McLaren Mercedes 17

1'27.965

  S 237.653
2 Australia O. Piastri McLaren 81 McLaren Mercedes 17

+0.026

1'27.991

0.026 S 237.583
3 United Kingdom G. Russell Mercedes 63 Mercedes Mercedes 15

+0.112

1'28.077

0.086 S 237.351
4 Monaco C. Leclerc Ferrari 16 Ferrari Ferrari 13

+0.449

1'28.414

0.337 S 236.446
5 Netherlands M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing 1 Red Bull Red Bull 21

+0.532

1'28.497

0.083 S 236.224
6 United Kingdom L. Hamilton Ferrari 44 Ferrari Ferrari 13

+0.559

1'28.524

0.027 S 236.152
7 Thailand A. Albon Williams 23 Williams Mercedes 19

+0.589

1'28.554

0.030 S 236.072
8 France P. Gasly Alpine 10 Alpine Renault 15

+0.638

1'28.603

0.049 S 235.942
9 Japan Y. Tsunoda Red Bull Racing 22 Red Bull Red Bull 15

+0.820

1'28.785

0.182 S 235.458
10 France I. Hadjar Racing Bulls 6 RB Honda 16

+0.821

1'28.786

0.001 S 235.456
11 Spain C. Sainz Williams 55 Williams Mercedes 22

+0.881

1'28.846

0.060 S 235.297
12 New Zealand L. Lawson Racing Bulls 30 RB Honda 19

+1.139

1'29.104

0.258 S 234.615
13 Italy A. Antonelli Mercedes 12 Mercedes Mercedes 20

+1.161

1'29.126

0.022 S 234.557
14 Australia J. Doohan Alpine 7 Alpine Renault 15

+1.802

1'29.767

0.641 S 232.882
15 Spain F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing 14 Aston Martin Mercedes 17

+1.807

1'29.772

0.005 M 232.869
16 United Kingdom O. Bearman Haas F1 Team 87 Haas Ferrari 17

+2.119

1'30.084

0.312 H 232.063
17 Brazil G. Bortoleto Sauber 5 Sauber Ferrari 13

+2.169

1'30.134

0.050 M 231.934
18 France E. Ocon Haas F1 Team 31 Haas Ferrari 17

+2.218

1'30.183

0.049 H 231.808
19 Canada L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing 18 Aston Martin Mercedes 16

+2.302

1'30.267

0.084 M 231.592
20 Germany N. Hulkenberg Sauber 27 Sauber Ferrari 17

+2.656

1'30.621

0.354 M 230.688

Photos from Japanese GP - Practice

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Team

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Alexander Albon, Williams

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Isack Hadjar, Racing Bulls

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Jack Doohan, Alpine

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Antonio Giovinazzi, Reserve Driver, Scuderia Ferrari

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Ryo Hirakawa, Alpine reserve driver

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Jack Doohan, Alpine

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Laura Mueller, Race Engineer of Haas F1

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Carlos Sainz, Williams

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Jack Doohan, Alpine

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Team garage of Scuderia Ferrari

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Lando Norris, McLaren

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing, Gabriel Bortoleto, Sauber

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari 

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Pierre Gasly, Alpine

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

George Russell, Mercedes

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Lando Norris, McLaren

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Lando Norris, McLaren

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Polesitter Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Jack Doohan, Alpine

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Jean Alesi

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Jack Doohan, Alpine

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

2025 Japanese Grand Prix - Saturday

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Formula 1
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