Kimi Antonelli continued Mercedes' strong start to the 2026 Formula 1 season by setting the fastest time in final practice for the Japanese Grand Prix. The Italian driver posted a blistering 1m 29.362s around the demanding Suzuka Circuit, nearly three tenths clear of teammate George Russell.
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished third, but found himself more than eight tenths adrift of the leading Mercedes, highlighting the Silver Arrows' impressive pace ahead of qualifying. The final practice session represented teams' last opportunity to fine-tune setups before the critical qualifying hour.
Most drivers waited until the clock reached approximately 15 minutes remaining before conducting serious running. Lewis Hamilton initially set the benchmark on Pirelli's soft tires before Leclerc went fractionally quicker with a 1m 31.018s.
Antonelli became the first driver to dip below the 1m 31s barrier around the 20-minute mark, posting a 1m 30.418s that comfortably eclipsed Leclerc's previous best by six-tenths. The Ferrari driver soon reduced the margin to just over one-tenth as the session intensity increased.
Traffic through the challenging 130R section became problematic for several drivers, with both Nico Hulkenberg and Valtteri Bottas expressing frustration over compromised laps. Leclerc briefly went fastest with a 1m 30.229s approaching the halfway point before the Mercedes drivers responded.
Antonelli then achieved the first sub-1m 30s lap of the weekend, setting a 1m 29.929s entering the final 30 minutes. Russell immediately lowered the benchmark by another 0.011s before ultimately being surpassed by his teammate's session-best effort.
Reigning world champion Lando Norris faced continued technical struggles, with his McLaren remaining in the garage until just 25 minutes remained due to persistent Energy Recovery System issues from Friday. His limited running left him 1.2 seconds off the pace in sixth position.
McLaren's Oscar Piastri finished fourth followed by Hamilton and Norris, while Nico Hulkenberg secured seventh for Audi. Red Bull's Max Verstappen could only manage eighth, with the second Audi of Gabriel Bortoleto and Alpine's Pierre Gasly completing the top ten.
The session results position Mercedes as clear favorites heading into qualifying, though teams will analyze the data closely to determine optimal tire strategies and setup choices for both qualifying and race trim.
Source: formula1.com