2026 Japanese Grand Prix FP3: Antonelli Leads Mercedes 1-2 Ahead of Russell
Andrea Kimi Antonelli leads the way for Mercedes during Free Practice 3 at the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka. Image credit to Mark Thompson/Getty Images. Antonelli Japanese GP FP3, 2026 Japanese GP FP3.
Antonelli Japanese GP FP3 – Chinese Grand Prix winner Andrea Kimi Antonelli topped the final practice session at the Japanese GP ahead of George Russell in a Mercedes one-two as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completed the top three.
Antonelli on the C3 red-side-walled softer compounds posted the session-topping benchmark of a 1:29.362 to be 0.254 seconds clear of Russell whilst Leclerc was a further 0.867 adrift in third.
Reigning world champion Lando Norris missed out on FP3 due to an ERS battery issue.
BWT Alpine F1 Team’s Franco Colapinto was the first driver to head out on a set of the C2 yellow-marked medium tyres.
The Argentine was the first to post the benchmark of a 1:33.665 as his team-mate Pierre Gasly and Cadillac’s Sergio Perez joined him on track.
Gasly pipped his team-mate at the top setting a 1:32.860 and 0.805 seconds clear as Perez, Ferrari’s Hamilton, Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac) and Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) were all out on softs.
Colapinto improved but remained second to be two tenths off his team-mate – Hamilton then took top spot setting a 1:32.283 on the C3’s.
Gasly returned to P1 on a 1:32.251 on the medium stint to be 0.032 clear of Hamilton as Bearman slotted into third with a 1:33.024 at the 12th minute mark of proceedings.
Colapinto with three personal bests went third overall on a 1:32.349 to be only 0.98 off his leading team-mate.
Hamilton was on another flyer, and three purples saw the seven-time world champion hit the head of the pile posting a 1:31.056 to be over one second clear over Gasly.
Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg jumped to third with three personal bests to end up 1.265 seconds off Hamilton’s benchmark at the 14th minute mark of the session.
Gasly improved with a purple sector three to be 0.506 off Hamilton on his sixth lap on the mediums.
The other Audi of Gabriel Bortoleto relegated his team-mate to fourth and was 1.095 off Hamilton’s best time.
Leclerc with a purple sector one and two personal bests went fastest on a 1:31.018 to go 0.038 ahead of team-mate Hamilton just past the opening quarter.
Chinese GP winner Antonelli with three purples put his Silver Arrow on top with a 1:30.418 to be 0.600 in-front of Leclerc as the F1 W17 stretches it’s legs on the softs.
The sole running McLaren of Piastri with three personal bests reached fourth overall on a 1:31.185 on the C3’s and was 0.767 adrift of Antonelli’s time-topper.
Leclerc was on another hot-lap on the softs and came 0.118 seconds off Antonelli with his 1:30.536.
Championship leader Russell pushed to third and was 0.127 seconds off his leading team-mate after posting a 1:30.545 effort.
Both Red Bulls were on their medium tyre runs and first Isack Hadjar came through on a 1:32.186 to go 13th quickest.
Verstappen followed setting a 1:31.556 to go sixth in the order as Piastri crossed the line fourth overall with a 1:30.801 to be 0.383 off Antonelli’s best time.
Leclerc on his fifth tour on the softs blasted to the top with a 1:30.229 to be 0.189 seconds clear of Antonelli as the Italian remained in second.
Hamilton was next and with three personal bests remained in fifth and 0.645 off his leading team-mate.
Piastri on his fifth hot-lap with three personal bests stayed fourth on a 1:30.600 to be 0.371 adrift of Leclerc.
Russell on his next flying lap with a purple sector one jumped his team-mate Antonelli to go second and was 0.166 seconds off Leclerc’s benchmark as the hour-long-session almost reached the end of the first half.
Verstappen with two personal bests was 1.125 off in eighth but only briefly as Bortoleto moved to sixth and 0.872 seconds off Leclerc’s time in his R26 entry running the mediums like the Dutchman.
Hamilton remained in fifth despite two personal bests to be 0.518 seconds off his team-mate Leclerc with a 1:30.747 effort.
Antonelli was flying with a purple middle sector and a personal best sector three to replace Leclerc at the top setting a 1:29.929 to be 0.300 ahead as Leclerc suffered a snap of oversteer at Degner 2 and at the Casio Hairpin.
Russell on his fourth run on the softs with two purples and a personal best pinched P1 off team-mate Antonelli with his 1:29.918 to be a very narrow 0.011 in-front to make it a Mercedes one-two with 28 minutes remaining on the clock.
The order sat at this stage of proceedings was Russell on top with Antonelli second, Leclerc third, Piastri fourth, Hamilton fifth, Bortoleto sixth, RB’s Arvid Lindblad up into seventh, Hulkenberg eighth, Verstappen ninth as RB’s Liam Lawson rounded out the top ten.
Most of the field were back in the pits making setup adjustments as reigning world champion Norris was preparing to go out on circuit for a run.
The Briton ventured out on track on a set of the C3 softer rubber.
Norris with three personal bests went 11th in the order with a 1:31.463 and was 1.545 adrift of Russell’s best time with 21 minutes remaining with the reigning world champion playing catch up after lost time due to the reliability problems plaguing his MCL40 entry.
Piastri was next with purple middle sector remained in fourth and 0.748 seconds off Russell as the Briton improved at the top with a 1:29.616.
Antonelli then snatched the top of the pile from his team-mate, a 1:29.362 to be 0.254 seconds ahead of Russell.
Norris with three personal bests moved up to sixth overall to be 1.732 seconds off Russell with less than 17 minutes in the final practice session as replays showed Bearman suffer a spin out of Spoon Curve.
The Briton lost the back end over the astroturf exit and saved his Ferrari-powered VF-26 entry and managed to return to the pits unscathed.
A slight improvement from Bortoleto saw him up to seventh with his 1:31.000 flyer to demote Norris down to eighth.
Piastri with a purple sector three came to 1.002 seconds off Antonelli’s best time as the McLaren driver stayed in fourth.
Leclerc was next on his qualifying simulation run on a new set of the C3’s, the Monegasque driver with two personal bests could only be 0.867 off Antonelli as Verstappen slotted into seventh and 1.548 off the leading Mercedes.
Antonelli despite a purple sector three did not improve as his team-mate Russell with a middle personal best sector also did not make any gains with both Mercedes drivers remaining in the top two spots.
Hamilton with two personal bests could only be fifth overall and ended up 1.021 off Antonelli as Norris went sixth in the order on a 1:30.600 with less than five minutes remaining.
Replays showed Lawson and Leclerc ran wide at Spoon Curve with the former furious over the radio after the Haas was travelling slowly on the racing line.
The session ended with Antonelli heading a Mercedes one-two over Russell as Leclerc rounded out the top three for Ferrari.
Piastri split the Ferrari’s in fourth as Hamilton placed fifth in the classification.
Reigning world champion Norris after all his technical gremlins was sixth and ahead of Audi’s Hulkenberg who took seventh.
Four-time-world champion Verstappen was eighth quickest as Bortoleto and Gasly completed the top ten runners.
You can see the full Formula 1 Aramco Japanese Grand Prix 2026 Free Practice 3 Results Classification at the link: FORMULA 1 ARAMCO JAPANESE GRAND PRIX 2026 – PRACTICE 3
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