P1racenews AI automatic summary:
Max Verstappen topped the final practice session at the Japanese Grand Prix ahead of Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez. Saturday practice was unusually busy, with most teams eager to make up for lost …
Max Verstappen was the fastest in the final practice session at the Japanese Grand Prix, with his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez in second place. Most teams were busy during Saturday’s practice session, trying to make up for the time lost due to rain on Friday. Verstappen set the fastest time of the weekend with a time of 1m 29.563, only 0.6s slower than his pole time from the previous year. Despite their strong performance, both Red Bull drivers faced ride issues and vibrating wing mirrors. Mercedes showed improvement, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton close behind Verstappen. Fernando Alonso received upgrades and was 0.519s off the pace, while Lando Norris finished sixth after a small mistake. Carlos Sainz was seventh, and Alex Albon struggled with confidence, finishing in 11th place. Daniel Ricciardo had a challenging session, spinning off the track at one point, and Esteban Ocon finished 14th for Alpine. Lance Stroll, Zhou Guanyu, Nico Hulkenberg, and Pierre Gasly rounded out the top 20, with Kevin Magnussen completing the group.
