Max Verstappen Dominates Final Practice at Suzuka, McLaren Shows Strong Pace Ahead of Japanese Grand Prix Qualifying
The Suzuka International Racing Course was set for an exhilarating Saturday as Max Verstappen once again asserted his dominance, securing a hat-trick of fastest practice times in the crucial final session for the Japanese Grand Prix. The reigning world champion continued to look in imperious form, laying down a formidable benchmark that positioned Red Bull as the team to beat for qualifying. This commanding performance not only underlined Verstappen’s exceptional skill but also highlighted Red Bull’s formidable package on this demanding circuit, setting the stage for a thrilling fight for pole position.
Verstappen’s best lap of 1’30.267 was a significant statement, placing him a clear two-tenths quicker than the impressive McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The papaya team, showing remarkable progress throughout the weekend, demonstrated their potential to challenge the front-runners. While Sergio Perez in the second Red Bull secured the fourth-fastest time, the substantial seven-tenths gap to his teammate underscored Verstappen’s unparalleled pace. This gap suggests a clear pecking order within Red Bull, and a potential battle for the second row of the grid for Perez against the rapidly improving McLarens and other top contenders.
Track Evolution and Early Session Dynamics Under Sunny Suzuka Skies
Unlike the overcast skies that characterized both of Friday’s practice sessions, Saturday morning brought glorious sunshine to Suzuka, transforming the atmosphere for the third and final hour of practice. While the ambient temperature remained consistent with the previous days, the additional solar energy significantly warmed the track surface. This change in conditions was pivotal, affecting tire grip, degradation, and overall car balance, prompting teams to make swift adjustments to their setups. The warmer track typically allows for more grip, especially on softer compounds, but also increases the risk of overheating if drivers push too hard over multiple laps.
As the pit lane officially opened for FP3, a noticeable hesitation gripped the teams. It took over five minutes for the first cars to venture onto the iconic circuit, with the two Ferraris of Carlos Sainz Jnr and Charles Leclerc breaking the silence. Both drivers immediately opted for the soft Pirelli compound, eager to gather crucial data on a track that was now behaving differently. Sainz initially set the pace with a 1’32.001, but his teammate Leclerc quickly demonstrated Ferrari’s internal competitiveness, shaving 0.038 seconds off Sainz’s effort. These initial runs provided vital data points for the engineers, allowing them to refine their strategies for the all-important qualifying session later in the day.
McLaren’s Assertive Challenge and Mercedes’ Pursuit
Following Ferrari’s early foray, more cars began to pour onto the track, and it wasn’t long before McLaren made their presence felt. Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, exhibiting strong form from Friday, quickly overshadowed the Ferraris. Norris delivered a commanding lap, clocking a 1’31.174, which placed him comfortably over seven-tenths quicker than the Italian team’s initial efforts. Piastri, not far behind his teammate, slotted into second place, just ahead of the Ferraris, confirming McLaren’s impressive pace on the soft tyres. Their consistent performance indicated that the Woking-based squad had found a strong rhythm and seemed poised to be a significant threat in qualifying, possibly even challenging Red Bull’s supremacy.
The Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were next to make their mark on the track. In a testament to their continuous efforts to extract performance from their W14, they managed to split the two McLaren drivers, temporarily placing themselves near the top of the timesheets. This brief burst of speed from Mercedes offered a glimpse of their potential, yet also underscored the tight competition amongst the top teams. However, any aspirations of holding the top spot were swiftly dashed with the arrival of Max Verstappen. The Friday pace-setter emerged from his garage and immediately set a blistering 1’30.960, effortlessly leaping to the very top of the field. This immediate impact served as a powerful reminder of Red Bull’s superior single-lap pace and Verstappen’s exceptional ability to find time instantly, even if this particular lap was three-tenths slower than his personal best from the previous day.
Verstappen’s Decisive Strike and the Fight for Pole Position
With Verstappen setting the early benchmark, the session entered a strategic phase. Rather than pushing for multiple consecutive fast laps to gather long-run data, most drivers at the sharp end of the grid, including Verstappen himself, opted for a second qualifying simulation run on the same set of soft tyres. This approach is common in FP3, as teams fine-tune their qualifying setup. However, the nature of the soft compound and the demanding Suzuka circuit meant that finding additional time on an already used set of tyres proved challenging. None of the top contenders could improve on their second timed laps, indicating a degree of tyre degradation or the difficulty in extracting maximum performance consecutively.
The McLaren resurgence was far from over. After a brief pit stop, both Norris and Piastri returned to the circuit on fresh sets of soft tyres, signaling their intent to challenge for the top spot. With the new rubber providing optimal grip, both drivers significantly improved their times, momentarily dethroning Verstappen. Lando Norris, displaying incredible confidence and speed, set a new quickest time of the weekend with a 1’30.507, with Piastri almost mirroring his teammate’s pace to slot into second. This dramatic turn of events showcased McLaren’s formidable progress and their genuine threat to Red Bull. However, almost as if in direct response, Max Verstappen swiftly had fresh soft tyres fitted to his RB19 and headed back out. His next push lap was nothing short of sensational, as he not only retook the top spot from the McLaren pair but further lowered the best time of the session to an incredible 1’30.267, re-establishing his clear advantage.
That incredible lap by Verstappen would ultimately prove to be the best time of the entire session. In the frantic final ten minutes, despite renewed efforts from several drivers, there were no further improvements at the very top of the standings. The only significant change came from Sergio Perez, who managed to elevate his Red Bull into fourth place, though still notably behind his teammate. As the chequered flag waved, Max Verstappen had successfully completed a clean sweep, setting the fastest time in all three practice sessions. His ultimate best time was a decisive two-tenths quicker than the impressive McLaren duo of Norris and Piastri, reaffirming his status as the clear favourite for qualifying. This dominance by Verstappen not only highlighted his individual brilliance but also showcased the sheer performance advantage of the Red Bull RB19 on this high-speed, technical circuit.
Final Standings and Outlook for Qualifying
The final classification for Free Practice 3 saw Max Verstappen leading the pack, followed closely by the strong McLaren pair. Perez secured fourth, indicating Red Bull’s overall strength but also the challenge for the Mexican driver to match Verstappen’s pace. The two Ferraris, with Charles Leclerc ahead of Carlos Sainz, finished in fifth and sixth positions respectively. While showing good consistency, their ultimate pace appeared to be a step behind Red Bull and McLaren. The Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell occupied seventh and eighth, demonstrating that they still have work to do to close the gap to the front-runners. Fernando Alonso delivered a solid performance for Aston Martin, taking ninth place, while the two Alfa Romeo drivers, Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas, rounded out the top 11. These results provide a tantalizing preview of what promises to be a fiercely contested qualifying session, with the battle for pole position and the subsequent grid order crucial for Sunday’s main event.
2023 Japanese Grand Prix Third Practice Results
| Position | Number | Driver | Team | Model | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | RB19 | 1’30.267 | 12 | |
| 2 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL60 | 1’30.507 | 0.240 | 15 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL60 | 1’30.555 | 0.288 | 14 |
| 4 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | RB19 | 1’31.004 | 0.737 | 12 |
| 5 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | SF-23 | 1’31.022 | 0.755 | 19 |
| 6 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Ferrari | SF-23 | 1’31.137 | 0.870 | 19 |
| 7 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | W14 | 1’31.159 | 0.892 | 12 |
| 8 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | W14 | 1’31.505 | 1.238 | 9 |
| 9 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin-Mercedes | AMR23 | 1’31.549 | 1.282 | 15 |
| 10 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | C43 | 1’31.668 | 1.401 | 14 |
| 11 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | C43 | 1’31.699 | 1.432 | 15 |
| 12 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | VF-23 | 1’31.880 | 1.613 | 15 |
| 13 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine-Renault | A523 | 1’31.924 | 1.657 | 13 |
| 14 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT | AT04 | 1’31.951 | 1.684 | 17 |
| 15 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas-Ferrari | VF-23 | 1’31.979 | 1.712 | 12 |
| 16 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams-Mercedes | FW45 | 1’32.002 | 1.735 | 12 |
| 17 | 40 | Liam Lawson | AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT | AT04 | 1’32.048 | 1.781 | 18 |
| 18 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | FW45 | 1’32.113 | 1.846 | 12 |
| 19 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | AMR23 | 1’32.154 | 1.887 | 19 |
| 20 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine-Renault | A523 | 1’32.199 | 1.932 | 14 |
2023 Japanese Grand Prix Combined Practice Times
| Position | Number | Driver | Team | FP1 time | FP2 time | FP3 time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | 1’31.647 | 1’30.688 | 1’30.267 | 1 | |
| 2 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’32.392 | 1’31.152 | 1’30.507 | 0.240 | 3 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren-Mercedes | 1’32.713 | 1’31.662 | 1’30.555 | 0.288 | 8 |
| 4 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull-Honda RBPT | 1’33.043 | 1’31.710 | 1’31.004 | 0.737 | 9 |
| 5 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1’32.574 | 1’31.008 | 1’31.022 | 0.741 | 2 |
| 6 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr”>Carlos Sainz Jnr | Ferrari | 1’32.273 | 1’31.237 | 1’31.137 | 0.870 | 4 |
| 7 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1’33.699 | 1’31.829 | 1’31.159 | 0.892 | 14 |
| 8 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1’33.310 | 1’31.328 | 1’31.505 | 1.061 | 5 |
| 9 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1’32.650 | 1’31.492 | 1’31.549 | 1.225 | 6 |
| 10 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | 1’32.991 | 1’31.555 | 1’32.113 | 1.288 | 7 |
| 11 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 1’34.831 | 1’32.165 | 1’31.668 | 1.401 | 16 |
| 12 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo-Ferrari | 1’33.860 | 1’31.739 | 1’31.699 | 1.432 | 10 |
| 13 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Mercedes | 1’33.040 | 1’31.771 | 1’32.154 | 1.504 | 11 |
| 14 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine-Renault | 1’33.516 | 1’31.794 | 1’31.924 | 1.527 | 12 |
| 15 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas-Ferrari | 1’33.448 | 1’31.797 | 1’31.979 | 1.530 | 13 |
| 16 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas-Ferrari | 1’33.975 | 1’32.169 | 1’31.880 | 1.613 | 17 |
| 17 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT | 1’32.597 | 1’32.178 | 1’31.951 | 1.684 | 18 |
| 18 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams-Mercedes | 1’34.212 | 1’32.320 | 1’32.002 | 1.735 | 20 |
| 19 | 40 | Liam Lawson | AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT | 1’33.005 | 1’32.141 | 1’32.048 | 1.781 | 15 |
| 20 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine-Renault | 1’33.129 | 1’32.179 | 1’32.199 | 1.912 | 19 |
2023 Japanese Grand Prix Coverage and Analysis
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- Mercedes must halve deficit to Red Bull before 2024 season starts – Hamilton
- Mercedes expect “tight” fight for second in championship after Ferrari gains
- Norris breaks Hulkenberg’s record for most points without a win in F1
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