Japanese GP: Oscar Piastri fastest as McLaren outpace Mercedes in Practice Two but difficulties for Ferrari, Red Bull McLaren dominated the second practice session at Suzuka, with Oscar Piastri setting the fastest time of 1:30.133. The team outperformed Mercedes, who had led the first session, as Piastri finished 0.092 seconds ahead of Kimi Antonelli and 0.205 seconds faster than George Russell, the championship leader. McLaren’s improved pace marked a significant turnaround after struggling in the first two races of the 2026 season. Lando Norris, the world champion, finished fourth but faced challenges due to a hydraulic leak that disrupted his session. Despite missing part of the practice, Norris still managed to finish ahead of Ferrari and Mercedes’ closest rivals. Ferrari’s performance remained inconsistent, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finishing fifth and sixth respectively, over 0.7 seconds slower than Piastri. Hamilton admitted to lacking confidence in the car during race simulations, though his time on soft tires was only 0.134 seconds slower than Leclerc. Red Bull, the previous four-time winners of the Japanese Grand Prix, struggled significantly, with Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar finishing 10th and 15th. The team’s RB22, which received upgrades, appeared to lack grip on Suzuka’s technical layout, leaving them enveloped by the midfield. The session highlighted broader challenges for Red Bull, as they finished 1.4 seconds slower than in the first practice. Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg, Williams’ Alex Albon, and Haas’ Oliver Bearman completed the top eight, while Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad was restricted to a single lap due to a gearshift issue. Gabriel Bortoleto of Audi also completed only 10 laps due to mechanical problems.#ferrari #oscar_piastri #mercedes #japanese_gp #mc_laren
Japanese Grand Prix: Oscar Piastri Leads Practice Session Amid McLaren's Strong Showing Oscar Piastri of McLaren set the fastest time in Friday practice at the Japanese Grand Prix, finishing 0.092 seconds ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli and 0.205 seconds faster than George Russell of Mercedes. Piastri’s performance surprised Russell, who noted McLaren’s pace was unexpectedly strong despite the team’s struggles in the early part of the 2026 season. Russell, leading the championship after two races, admitted there was still room for improvement, stating, “McLaren were pretty fast, so a little bit of a surprise. Still some improvements to do, so a bit of work to do tonight.” Piastri’s lead was further highlighted by the performance of Lando Norris, who finished fourth fastest with McLaren’s second car. Norris faced challenges during the final session due to a hydraulic leak and off-track incidents, but his pace remained ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Antonelli, who secured his first Grand Prix victory in China, finished second, while Russell’s time was 0.113 seconds slower than Antonelli’s. Russell attributed his slower pace to energy management issues, particularly in Spoon corner, which affected his battery levels during the lap. Deputy team principal Bradley Lord explained that Antonelli’s driving style through Spoon allowed him to conserve energy better, while Russell’s approach hit the harvesting limit earlier, costing him speed in the final corner. “That’s something we’ll look at overnight,” Lord said. Mercedes, despite their strong pace in race simulations, remained confident in their championship position. Antonelli led the qualifying simulations, with Russell and Piastri trailing. Piastri, however, was 0.25 seconds slower than Antonelli on average and 0.#oscar_piastri #george_russell #kim_i_antonielli #japanese_grand_prix #mc_laren
