Third Free Practice Report & Results 2025 Japanese F1 GP

Event: Japanese Grand Prix
Track: Suzuka Circuit

Weather: Sunny & dry 14°C
Tarmac: dry  38°C
Humidity : 38%
Wind : 11.5 km/h

McLaren on Fire, Red Flags Fly, and Suzuka Keeps Biting — FP3 Report from the 2025 Japanese GP

Sunshine, Suzuka & Split Seconds

Suzuka greeted us this morning with flawless blue skies and temperatures that whispered, “perfect Qualifying prep.” And that’s exactly what FP3 turned out to be: a tense, thrilling, and occasionally chaotic warm-up to what promises to be a sizzling Saturday showdown.

McLaren carried their momentum from Friday right into Saturday, locking out the top two spots once again — but this time it was Lando Norris who edged ahead of Oscar Piastri by just 0.026s. Yes, blink and you’d miss the gap. That’s how close it’s getting at the sharp end.

Fire, Flags, and Flying Saves

But before we dive into the leaderboard, let’s talk drama. Suzuka didn’t hold back.

Red flags made two uninvited appearances during FP3. The second stoppage — which ultimately ended the session early — was due to yet another small fire near the trackside. Not the kind of heat we wanted, but it added another twist to a weekend already packed with unpredictability.

Earlier, Gabriel Bortoleto had a hairy moment as he dropped a tyre onto the grass, nearly looping his Kick Sauber into the barriers. Only some lightning-fast reflexes kept it out of the wall. "Something broke," he radioed. Turns out it was just the laws of physics flirting with disaster.

Midfield Madness & Tsunoda Fever

The Japanese fans had their eyes locked on Yuki Tsunoda, and boy did he deliver — at least initially. His first run on fresh softs was just a tenth slower than Verstappen's, who had a generous tow. Tsunoda looked to be in the mix until the red flags denied him a second push lap.

Meanwhile, Alex Albon threw in a strong P6 showing, while Isack Hadjar continued to impress for the Racing Bulls with a stint inside the top ten. Not bad for a rookie whose car had issues only a session ago.

Mercedes in Stealth Mode

George Russell doesn’t shout; he simmers — and today, he boiled just under the surface of a McLaren 1-2. The Brit was less flamboyant than Norris or Piastri, but his consistency has been eye-catching all weekend. Remember when he was dubbed "Mr. Saturday"? He’s sharpening that blade again.

On the other side of the garage, Andrea Kimi Antonelli is still climbing the Suzuka learning curve. The Italian rookie is over a second off his team mate, but let’s be fair — it’s his debut here, and the figure-eight rollercoaster of Suzuka is not known for being kind to first-timers.

Ferrari: Fast but Flaky?

Charles Leclerc popped into P4, just ahead of a slightly ragged Max Verstappen, but the Scuderia still don’t seem entirely happy. Both red cars looked planted at times but messy at others — scruffy chicanes, wide Degners… classic signs of a car on the edge.

Lewis Hamilton, now Leclerc’s Ferrari teammate (still strange to write that), quietly slotted into sixth behind Max. No heroics just yet from Sir Lewis, but he's clearly biding his time.

Verstappen Quietly Lurking

Max Verstappen didn’t dominate. Let that sink in. Red Bull focused on race simulations early on — with Max logging more laps than anyone on the hard tyres — suggesting they're still trying to unlock something from the RB21. He eventually popped in a lap good enough for P5, but it wasn’t fireworks.

Are they saving their full hand for Quali? You’d be brave to bet against it.

Doohan Rises After Friday Horror

After yesterday’s monster crash, Jack Doohan returned to the track like a man on a mission. Fit to race and eager to make up for lost time, he got straight to work in FP3. No fireworks yet, but given the circumstances, just being back in the Alpine was a win.

What Now?

With McLaren looking razor-sharp, Mercedes lurking, and Ferrari and Red Bull hiding secrets, Qualifying could be an all-out brawl. Add in the usual Suzuka curveballs — crosswinds, tyre graining, and the occasional red flag roulette — and it’s shaping up to be must-watch F1.

So grab your coffee (or sake), buckle up, and join us again for what could be a storming shootout at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix. Can Piastri take back-to-back poles? Will Norris finally convert his pace? Or will someone else gatecrash the party?

You don’t want to miss it.

FP3 Times Table 2025 Japanese GP

1:29,563 min was the quickest lap time in a wet FP3 of last year also set by Max Verstappen with the Red Bull RB20.

✅ Check out our 2025 Japanese Formula 1 Grand Prix preview.

✅ Check out more posts with related topics: