- Russell led FP1 at Suzuka, as Mercedes continued their domination
- Piastri topped FP2, while setup work ran alongside on-track disruption.
- Albon hit barriers, then clipped Pérez, and Lindblad missed FP2 entirely.
FP1, Russell quickest as three-wide Turn 1 sets the tone
George Russell was quickest in FP1 as drivers pushed early at Suzuka, leading his teammate Kimi Antonelli to a Mercedes 1-2. The W17 again looked imperious.
The session’s big flashpoint came at Turn 1, where Charles Leclerc, Pierre Gasly and Oscar Piastri went three-wide into Turn 1, with Leclerc sweeping through into the lead as if in race mode. It was an unusual sight for a first practise session.
Alex Albon had two separate incidents in the opening session. He first clipped the barriers at Turn 9 but continued and returned to the pits to have his car checked.
Later, he dived down the inside of Sergio Perez’s Cadillac at the final chicane, and the cars made contact after Perez reportedly “didn’t see the Williams.”
On Formula 1’s coverage, Pat Symonds said Perez’s car had suffered “quite a bit of damage.”
FP2, Piastri quickest as Lindblad’s running unravels
Oscar Piastri was quickest in FP2 in his ressurgent Mclaren, a session where running was limited for some drivers.
Arvid Lindblad did not take part after a gearbox problem compromised his Friday. Lindblad’s response was positive: “We’ll be back on it tomorrow,” but it has left the Racing Red Bulls with some data to catch up on in Saturday’s session.
What drivers said
Russell said McLaren’s pace was “a little bit of a surprise,” according to Formula 1’s FP1 highlights, although maybe it should not have been given that McLaren is running the Mercedes engine.
Max Verstappen was left disgruntled, with differing issues in both sessions, and talked of adjustments made to his Red Bull leading it from one extreme to another.
Friday’s key stories
Suzuka’s first practice produced the day’s biggest moment: that Turn 1 three-wide sequence. It was followed by Albon’s two separate incidents, which culminated in the contact that damaged Perez’s car.
FP2’s headline was Piastri’s rapid session-topping time, which suggests that the McLarens are back on track. For Racing Bull’s Lindblad, his weekend plan has now shifted to recovering mileage and data on Saturday after missing that entire hour.
