Nico Rosberg topped both practice sessions for the Japanese Grand Prix, although he only just pipped Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton by less than a tenth of a second.
The pair were split by 0.072s as they both bolted on a set of the soft tyre, before focussing on race simulations later in the session.
Ferrari looked closer than they've been all season, with Kimi Raikkonen just three-tenths shy of Rosberg's lap, whilst the Red Bull pairing were some distance behind.
Max Verstappen was fourth, eight-tenths back, and Daniel Ricciardo only P12, two-seconds adrift.
Sebastian Vettel was fifth ahead of the Force India duo, followed by Fernando Alonso, Valtteri Bottas and Carlos Sainz.
The session saw a brief yellow flag for Renault's Kevin Magnussen as he took a trip across the gravel, having run wide at the hairpin.
That was swiftly followed by a full 360 degree spin for Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat as he took to the grass on the start/finish straight before rejoining in the opposite direction.
A Virtual Safety Car was brought out for a stranded Esteban Gutierrez. Haas reporting a turbo problem as a possible cause for his early bath.
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