Max Verstappen Finishes P5 in Third Free Practice at Japanese Grand Prix
Max Verstappen ended the third free practice for the Japanese Grand Prix in P5, focusing on race pace. He clocked a time of 1:28.497 in the final phase using soft tires. The session was marred by red flags due to grass fires, with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri topping the charts. George Russell took P3, while local driver Yuki Tsunoda finished in P9.
Max Verstappen secured fifth place during the third free practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka circuit. His team, Oracle Red Bull Racing, prioritized race pace over fast lap times in the early stages. In the closing minutes, Verstappen switched to soft tires and recorded a best lap of 1:28.497, finishing behind the leading McLarens and George Russell from Mercedes, who took P3.
The session commenced under clear skies and a temperature of 13°C, but was interrupted twice by grass fires next to the track. The Australian driver Jack Doohan returned to the session after a crash in his Alpine, promptly taking to the track. Verstappen followed suit, achieving a time of 1:30.397 before another red flag halted progress due to a grass fire.
Once the session resumed, Verstappen’s first lap time was quickly surpassed by McLaren drivers Norris and Piastri. During the session, Verstappen participated in a long stint with hard tires before switching to softer compounds with 15 minutes remaining, moving up to P4 and then improving to P5 with a final time of 1:28.497.
With five minutes left, yet another red flag was thrown due to a fire, preventing any further laps. Ultimately, Verstappen finished in P5, trailing Norris and Piastri, while Charles Leclerc claimed P4 and Lewis Hamilton ended in P6. Notably, local favorite Yuki Tsunoda finished P9 during his first race weekend with Red Bull Racing. Qualifying is set to begin at 08:00 Dutch time.
In conclusion, Max Verstappen finished fifth in the third free practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix, focusing on race pace rather than outright speed. Despite the interruptions and challenges presented by the Suzuka circuit, Verstappen’s late-session improvement on soft tires positioned him behind the leading McLarens and George Russell. Qualifying is imminent, with Verstappen and his team looking to build on their practice performance.
Original Source: news.verstappen.com
