Oscar Piastri set the fastest time in practice for the Japanese Grand Prix, raising hopes of a first non-Mercedes victory of the season. The McLaren driver edged out Kimi Antonelli by 0.092 seconds at Suzuka, with George Russell third.
Lando Norris missed the first half of the session due to a hydraulics leak and finished fourth, half a second behind Piastri in the other McLaren. Charles Leclerc was fifth, seven tenths off the pace, ahead of Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton, who was 0.847 seconds adrift.
Max Verstappen endured another difficult session, finishing only 10th, 1.3 seconds behind Piastri. The reigning champion, who won in Japan last year, has struggled in the opening races of the season.
Mercedes have dominated the early season, with Russell and Antonelli each winning one race and topping every practice session until Friday. However, Piastri's performance offers encouragement for McLaren, who are seeking to rebound from a disastrous Chinese Grand Prix where both cars failed to start due to mechanical issues.
Hamilton, who secured his first Ferrari podium in China, expressed a lack of confidence in the car, saying, 'I am very slow because I have no confidence in the car.' Ollie Bearman took ninth, while Nico Hulkenberg and Alex Albon finished seventh and eighth respectively.
