Lando Norris is at immediate risk of a grid penalty after McLaren replaced his ERS battery in Japan, using his third and final permitted unit of the 2026 season. This latest reliability blow follows a hydraulics issue on Friday and the team's double DNS in China, putting McLaren's early season under severe pressure.
Audi F1 boss Mattia Binotto has called Jonathan Wheatley's exit "very unexpected," confirming the trackside operations chief left for private long-term reasons. Binotto now seeks a replacement to handle race weekends so he can focus on the factory, as Audi steadies itself after the sudden leadership change.
Lando Norris has used all his allocated Energy Stores and Control Electronics after three races, leaving him one failure away from a grid penalty. A battery issue in China and problems in Japan have put the defending champion in a precarious position early in the 2026 season.
Kimi Antonelli topped a dominant Mercedes 1-2 in Japanese GP FP3, setting a time nearly nine-tenths clear of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in third. Lando Norris recovered from an ERS issue to take sixth for McLaren, while Max Verstappen struggled to eighth for Red Bull.
Kimi Antonelli led a Mercedes 1-2 in final practice for the Japanese GP, while Friday leader McLaren fell back with pace and reliability issues. Audi impressed with both cars in the top ten, and Aston Martin struggled badly at Honda's home circuit.
Max Verstappen faced continued struggles with his Red Bull in Japanese GP practice, calling the car's handling 'horrendous' and finishing well off the pace. The issues set up a tense battle for Red Bull to fix the car before qualifying at a circuit they usually dominate.
Kimi Antonelli outpaced Mercedes teammate George Russell in final practice at Suzuka, establishing himself as the pole position favorite. Mercedes showed dominant pace, leaving rivals over a second behind, while Lando Norris faced more reliability concerns with his McLaren.
McLaren's Lando Norris is set to miss final practice at the Japanese GP due to an ERS pack failure requiring replacement. While a setback for setup work, the team is confident he will be ready for qualifying after showing strong pace on Friday alongside teammate Oscar Piastri.
The final practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix is running at Suzuka, providing teams one last opportunity to optimize car setups before qualifying. With its challenging, high-speed layout, this hour is vital for drivers to find rhythm and for engineers to confirm strategic choices ahead of the decisive fight for grid positions.
McLaren is scrambling to fix an ERS problem on Lando Norris's car, likely forcing him to miss the important FP3 session at Suzuka. This setback adds to the driver's troubled weekend and follows a power unit issue that caused a DNS in China.
Red Bull's public handling of a media clash involving Max Verstappen in Japan has sparked criticism, revealing a potential rift. The team's decision to publicly signal a reprimand, rather than firmly back its star driver, marks a shift from its traditionally protective culture and risks damaging the crucial trust with the four-time champion.
For the Japanese GP, F1 has cut the energy drivers can harvest in qualifying by 1MJ, targeting 'super clipping.' This forces teams to strategically deploy their limited energy on Suzuka's straights, adding a complex layer to an already demanding, low-energy circuit where throttle management in fast corners becomes key.
