Yuki Tsunoda surges in confidence, Gabriel Bortoleto scares the grid, and Suzuka’s grass refuses to chill.
Suzuka’s Fiery Spirit (Literally)
FP3 opened with a bang — or rather, a blaze. For the third session in a row, Suzuka saw action halted due to a trackside grass fire, triggering the first red flag of the morning.
“The grass is on fire again,” one fan exclaimed, as a familiar plume of smoke began drifting across the circuit. The humor and concern followed quickly: “How is this going to go with the race, red flag every 10 laps? I already know it’s both Ferraris getting screwed.”
The fire reignited debate (pun intended) about Suzuka’s off-season maintenance. Dry, dormant grass from Japan’s winter combined with 15°C weather and sparks from titanium skid blocks proved a highly flammable mix. “The whole track is essentially just lined with straw,” one user pointed out.
Some fans offered solutions: “Just burn it all now. Controlled burn between FP3 and Quali. Bernie’s sprinkler plan never looked better.” Others questioned why the issue wasn’t handled earlier: “Suzuka could’ve watered the grass months ago. This is embarrassing.”
There were creative suggestions for contingency plans too: “One-shot qualifying, check the track for fires between each lap. Let’s go.”
More analysis pointed out that the issue isn’t heat-related, but the seasonal dormancy of the grass: “Grass in Japan entirely dies off over winter then regrows in spring. It’s not hot at all, but a burning tungsten chunk in some dry grass doesn’t really care about air temperature.”
With light rain predicted for the race and 70% humidity overnight, hopes remain that the blaze won’t return. But as one fan summarized: “Fire and rain? Someone call James Taylor.”
Bortoleto’s Scream & Suzuka’s Streaming Chaos
It wasn’t just the grass that lit up social media. A radio broadcast from Gabriel Bortoleto sent a collective shiver through the internet:
“AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH” – Gabriel Bortoleto, FP3, 2025.
“What the hell was that scream?” asked one fan. “Sounded like he saw his life flash before his eyes.” Another added, “Bortoleto has a future in horror movies.”
The soundbite went viral instantly. “Fully articulated. Not even a yell, just ‘ahhhh.’ The man was lucidly terrified.”
From the onboard footage, fans were relieved he managed to save the car after nearly losing it at 130R. One summed it up perfectly:
“Bortoleto: Losing his shit about almost crashing. His engineer: ‘ok.'”
Tsunoda Turns Heads
As the session resumed, the spotlight quickly shifted to Yuki Tsunoda, who looked more confident in the Red Bull than anyone expected.
“Yuki might be doing it, lads,” someone posted as sector times rolled in. “That’s honestly as planted as an RB onboard has looked all year.”
He finished the session in P9, just a tenth off Max Verstappen in P5 — and fans took note. “Tsunoda is clearly more comfortable than Lawson was. Who could’ve guessed the guy with four years of experience might fare better?”
Others praised his maturity and tire management: “He’s not walking on eggshells like Liam was. Slowly building. Mature approach.”
The hype was relentless:
- “YUKI HYPE SHINKANSEN 🚄”
- “I’m not deboarding this Yuki train!”
- “Yuki has me so messed up I’m cheering for Red Bull.”
Of course, cooler heads tried to temper expectations. “They were running different programs. Max didn’t push that hard. It’s still FP3.” But even skeptics agreed: “If Yuki makes Q3 and is within 3-4 tenths? That’s already a dub.”
Some fans pointed out Verstappen’s complaints about low front grip and suggested he’s still not happy with the car. Meanwhile, Yuki’s performance — on fewer laps and with red flag interruptions — continued to impress.
Commentary Shake-Up: Jacques Villeneuve Joins the Booth
One unexpected highlight of FP3 came from the commentary box itself, where Jacques Villeneuve joined the F1TV team.
Reactions were mixed — but surprisingly positive. “I’m biased,” one fan admitted, “but JV is a breath of fresh air. Not afraid to call a spade a spade.”
Some praised his humor, insight, and honesty: “He knows when he’s being cheeky but he’s very sharp.”
Others, still remembering his more controversial takes, were caught off guard: “I was expecting to hate him, but he’s actually chilled out. He sounds like he’s making an effort not to be a jackass.”
Of course, not everyone was won over — “He’s ridiculously arrogant” one critic said — but overall, fans seemed to appreciate having a voice that wasn’t afraid to challenge the usual narrative.
“Brundle is still the pinnacle,” one summed up, “but JV is making this weekend a lot more interesting.”
Hadjar, Lawson, and the Rookie Watch
While Tsunoda basked in local fanfare, Isack Hadjar quietly matched his P9 time — both he and Yuki finished the session on 1:28.785, separated only by thousandths.
“Hadjar has been seriously impressive,” one fan noted. “That’s bad news for Lawson though.”
Lawson, stepping into the RB21 just this weekend, faces tough scrutiny. “It’s his first race weekend in this car,” someone reminded. “He’s adjusting. Hadjar had all off-season.”
Fans noted Hadjar’s growth: “I underestimated him before this season. He’s calm, fast, and seems to have matured a lot since F2.” Others joked: “Stop sleeping on the Haddy Daddy.”
Despite a tricky session, many believe Lawson will bounce back — and that Red Bull’s ever-watchful eye will be tracking both rookies closely.
Ferrari, Russell, and That Helmet Hat
Elsewhere on the grid, George Russell quietly impressed. “RB this, Ferrari that, what about Russell?” someone asked. “Guy is just quietly doing insane work.”
Ferrari, meanwhile, limited their running. Some speculated it was tactical, others joked, “They’re making sure we don’t get our hopes up.”
Fans remained skeptical: “This change to rear suspension config could go down as one of the all-time fumbles.”
Some fans were just along for the ride — literally and figuratively. “That helmet helmet is sick. Fire.”
Final FP3 Classification – Top 10
- Lando Norris – 1:27.965
- Oscar Piastri – +0.026
- George Russell – +0.112
- Charles Leclerc – +0.449
- Max Verstappen – +0.532
- Lewis Hamilton – +0.559
- Alexander Albon – +0.589
- Pierre Gasly – +0.638
- Yuki Tsunoda – +0.820
- Isack Hadjar – +0.820
With qualifying just around the corner, Suzuka has once again proven itself to be a beautifully unpredictable theater for Formula 1. Whether it’s smoke, screams, surprise commentary or sudden sector times, one thing’s for sure: fans aren’t looking away.
Stay tuned for qualifying — and maybe invest in a fire extinguisher or two.