SUZUKA, Japan -- Valtteri Bottas set the fastest time in the final practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix despite crashing out with 20 minutes remaining.
Bottas lost the rear of his car after running wide at Spoon corner before clipping the barrier with his rear right and front right on the following straight. The damage brought an end to his session and a brief red flag period, but the time he set on the soft compound tyre earlier in the session was still enough to retain the fastest lap when Mercedes' rivals set super-soft times at the end of the session.