Kimi Antonelli Dominates Suzuka Practice in Mercedes 1-2 While Lando Norris Endures Fresh Electrical Power Unit Crisis

Kimi Antonelli tops Suzuka FP3 as Mercedes dominates the field by 0.8s. Lando Norris faces fresh reliability issues with a last-minute ERS replacement.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 28, 2026, 6:30 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from PlanetF1

Mercedes Asserts Technical Superiority at the Suzuka Circuit

The hierarchy of the 2026 Formula 1 season became increasingly clear during the final practice hour in Japan as the Mercedes team delivered a crushing performance against the rest of the field. Italian sensation Kimi Antonelli spearheaded a Brackley 1-2 finish, posting a lap time that left his nearest non-Mercedes rival, Charles Leclerc, eight-tenths of a second behind. This significant pace advantage suggests that the Mercedes power unit and aerodynamic package have achieved a level of synergy that neither Ferrari nor Red Bull can currently match. The "rout" at Suzuka marks a definitive statement from the current championship leaders as they move into the high-stakes qualifying phase of the weekend.

Another Reliability Disaster for the McLaren Garage

While Mercedes thrived, the atmosphere at McLaren remained tense as Lando Norris faced his third major technical failure in two race weekends. Prior to the session, McLaren engineers identified a critical fault in the Energy Recovery System pack, an issue that initially appeared to be a session-ending development. Following a DNS in China and a hydraulic leak on Friday, the loss of another ERS unit represents a severe blow to the reigning World Champion’s title defense. Although the team managed a miraculous turnaround to get Norris on track for the final 25 minutes, the lack of representative running has left the British driver struggling to calibrate his car for the unique demands of the Japanese track.

Ferrari Struggles to Bridge the Eight Tenth Gap

Despite a brief period where Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton occupied the top of the timing sheets, the Maranello-based outfit was ultimately unable to sustain a challenge to the Silver Arrows. Leclerc managed to trim the deficit during several flying laps, yet the final classifications showed a massive 0.867-second gap between the Ferrari and Antonelli’s benchmark. This performance plateau is particularly concerning for Lewis Hamilton, who continues to report a lack of confidence in his car’s handling. While Ferrari appears to be the most consistent challenger to Mercedes, the sheer scale of the time difference at a driver-focused track like Suzuka indicates that a significant setup breakthrough is still required.