F1 LIVE | The third free practice for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka

The first two free practice sessions have finished and it's time for the third and final practice session in Japan on Saturday. Will Max Verstappen continue to lead, or will someone find overnight improvements? All action on and around the Suzuka circuit can be followed live via our live blog.

F1 LIVE | FP3 for the Japanese Grand Prix

Red Bull didn't get things right in Singapore, but the Austrian team seem to have perfected it in Japan less than a week later. Verstappen drove by far the fastest time during the first and second free practice. In addition, the RB19 of the two-time world champion in the long runs was elusive, an analysis from this website showed.

Verstappen feels very comfortable in the Red Bull again this weekend - as usual - but teammate Sergio Perez is a bit behind. The Mexican did not come out fantastically from the starting blocks with an 11th and 9th fastest time. The third free practice will therefore be of great importance for the 33-year-old to still enter qualifying with a good feeling.

Red Bull seems to have to fear Ferrari the most this weekend. Charles Leclerc said he expected a Red Bull to win after FP2, but the Maranello team didn't have to admit much in qualifying on the first day in Japan. If the Italians still manage to find something in the final training, it may be very exciting in the battle for pole position.

Suzuka Circuit

The Japanese track is well-known worldwide for its layout, made of a thrilling sequence of fast left-hand turns and some iconic corners like the Spoon Curve and the famous 130R. This makes Suzuka one of the most complete circuits on the calendar, where aerodynamics, mechanics and power unit all make the difference around a single lap. Over the race, the tyres (especially the fronts) are really stressed, so that's another factor teams need to manage. Finding the right set-up is, therefore, crucial to have a clean weekend, so let’s see which choices have been made by the teams this year.