F1 results: FP3 timings from Japanese Grand Prix practice

Max Verstappen made it a clean sweep in Japanese Grand Prix practice as he saw off the McLarens to top FP3.

Verstappen was forced to work hard for it, with McLaren at one stage threatening a one-two, but Verstappen found a whopping six-tenths to take P1 and put himself in prime position to push on for Japanese Grand Prix pole.

But, with Norris and his McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri seemingly very much in the fight, Verstappen will not have it easy come qualifying.

Norris set the early pace once the activity ramped up on the track following a slow start, clocking a 1:31.174, putting him seven-tenths up on McLaren team-mate Piastri and almost eight-tenths clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.

Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell soon muscled their way into the top-three, but Norris’ buffer stood still at a mighty six-tenths.

It was soon Verstappen’s turn to settle into his familiar P1 spot, but with his advantage standing at just two-tenths, Norris would have been encouraged.

And the Brit was even further encouraged when he returned to P1 on a 1:30.507, Piastri jumping up to P2 as Verstappen was left with four-tenths to find on the McLarens.

As it turned out, he had six in the locker as he returned to the front, once more two-tenths up on Norris.

FP3 timings

1 Max VERSTAPPEN Red Bull Racing1:30.267
2 Lando NORRIS McLaren+0.240
3 Oscar PIASTRI McLaren+0.288
4 Sergio PEREZ Red Bull Racing+0.737
5 Charles LECLERC Ferrari+0.755
6 Carlos SAINZ Ferrari+0.870
7 Lewis HAMILTON Mercedes+0.892
8 George RUSSELL Mercedes+1.238
9 Fernando ALONSO Aston Martin+1.282
10 Guanyu ZHOU Alfa Romeo+1.401
11 Valtteri BOTTAS Alfa Romeo+1.432
12 Kevin MAGNUSSEN Haas F1 Team+1.613
13 Esteban OCON Alpine+1.657
14 Yuki TSUNODA AlphaTauri+1.684
15 Nico HULKENBERG Haas F1 Team+1.712
16 Logan SARGEANT Williams+1.735

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