P1racenews AI automatic summary:
F1 Japanese GP: Verstappen heads Perez in final practice
Under improved weather conditions compared to Friday, Max Verstappen started first at the pitlane exit and began with a long stint on medium tires, setting the initial benchmark time of 1m30.265s before being overtaken by Lewis Hamilton on soft tires. Hamilton’s 1m30.065s lap remained fastest for a large portion of the session, marked by incidents involving Kevin Magnussen and Daniel Ricciardo. Teams used the session to gather data following the FP2 cancellation, with Hamilton leading the way and George Russell also showing strong pace for Mercedes. Red Bull and Ferrari focused on tire durability, while Aston Martin tested hard tires and McLaren made setup changes for Lando Norris. The session ended with a flurry of flying laps on soft tires, with Verstappen ultimately setting the quickest time ahead of Perez, Hamilton, and Russell in a closely contested session.
