Max Verstappen, the Red Bull Racing driver from the Netherlands, showcased his skills during the final practice session for the Japanese Formula 1 Grand Prix. The current world champion, who had already triumphed in Suzuka in 2022 and 2023, set the fastest time of 1:29.563s. Verstappen finished 0.269s ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez, despite experiencing a sudden deterioration in the car’s performance. Meanwhile, Mercedes drivers George Russell and Lewis Hamilton secured third and fourth positions, respectively, building on their strong performance in the previous practice session.
Fernando Alonso, from Aston Martin, made use of the team’s upgraded components, even though they violated the curfew to install them on the AMR24. Alonso managed to secure fifth place in the session. Lando Norris, on the other hand, struggled to improve his lap time after going off track at Turn 9, finishing in sixth place. Ferrari had a relatively quiet session, with Carlos Sainz finishing in seventh place and his teammate Charles Leclerc occupying the final spot in the top 10.
Oscar Piastri, from McLaren, clinched eighth position, while Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda continued to impress by finishing ninth. Tsunoda’s teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, had limited laps during the Friday sessions, missing out on FP1 and facing intermittent rain during FP2. Ricciardo’s session was further hampered by a spin at Turn 1, resulting in a 13th place finish. Between Ricciardo and Leclerc, Williams’ Alex Albon and Sauber’s Valtteri Bottas secured 11th and 12th positions, respectively.
The lackluster performance of Alpine continued, with Esteban Ocon finishing in 14th place, 1.4s behind the leader. Pierre Gasly, Ocon’s teammate, was just behind in 17th position. Haas, who expected a challenging race in Suzuka, saw Nico Hulkenberg secure 16th place, while Kevin Magnussen struggled and finished at the back of the pack, experiencing a momentary loss of control at Turn 11.
