Verstappen faces competition in practice three for the Japanese Grand Prix thanks to McLaren SURGE.

Lando Norris came in second and Oscar Piastri came in third as Max Verstappen dominated his third straight practice session of the weekend in Suzuka.

Approximately seven tenths of a second behind his Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez came in fourth. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz of Ferrari came in fifth and sixth, respectively.

With Zhou Guanyu and Fernando Alonso rounding out the top ten, Mercedes finished seventh and eighth, nearly a second behind Verstappen’s time.

To run on the track, teams are reserved.

Only 15 minutes into the practice session, McLaren was the first team to demonstrate any real pace, sitting 1-2 in front of the Ferraris as teams decided not to run much in the early going.

Verstappen eventually entered the race, moving into first place just two tenths of a second ahead of Norris and closer than many had anticipated.

Before the real qualifying runs began to take place with just 20 minutes remaining in the session, both Mercedes positioned themselves in the top five.

The Ferrari duo of Sainz and Leclerc appeared to be on the edge, pushing the limits of the track; the latter even dipped a tire in the gravel.

Could we soon see a mixed grid?

Verstappen’s time through sector one was slower than McLaren’s, who were the first to set a standard for Red Bull to surpass.

However, he had managed to conserve his tires well enough for the remainder of the lap, passing Norris by two tenths in just the final sector.

Alfa Romeo seemed to be moving quickly further down the grid, and Aston Martin will be concerned because Alonso was unable to close the gap on the McLaren drivers.

frustration for the major teams.

Leclerc and Sainz of Ferrari eventually finished fifth and sixth with a few minutes remaining, disappointing a team that had high expectations for the weekend.

Following a sensational podium finish at Zandvoort, Alpine is another team to watch out for after struggling with pace and finishing 13th and 20th.

Verstappen shouldn’t have too much trouble navigating a dry qualifying, but McLaren will work hard to give the Dutchman a challenge—something he hasn’t gotten much of this year.