Antonelli heads Russell in final Japan practice as Mercedes stretch their legs
Published on March 28, 2026.
Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli led teammate George Russell in final practice for the Japanese Grand Prix, finishing in one minute, 29.362 seconds, while championship leader Russell was 0.254 seconds behind. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was third and McLaren's Oscar Piastri fourth. Reigning Formula One champion Lando Norris experienced further reliability issues at McLaren. Lewis Hamilton was fifth and Norris posted the sixth-fastest time. The Mercedes' performance puts them as favourites for pole position in qualifying later in the day. Qualifying in Suzuka will be run to slightly different energy management rules, which are aimed at allowing drivers to push harder.
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