- Russell leads Mercedes one-two in Japan GP FP1, with Antonelli 0.026s behind.
- McLaren with both cars in the top four; Red Bull and Verstappen struggle.
- Williams endured a difficult morning Racing Bulls’ Lindblad shines.
George Russell set the fastest time in the opening practice session of the 2026 Japanese GP at Suzuka on Friday morning, leading a Mercedes one-two ahead of team mate Kimi Antonelli.
Reigning world champion Lando Norris finished third for McLaren, with Oscar Piastri fourth. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton slotted into fifth and sixth. The gap between Russell at the top and Antonelli in second was just 0.026 seconds.
Russell’s benchmark time of 1m 31.666s came on the soft compound tyre, which Mercedes was the first team to commit to the compound during the session.
The result extended a dominant run of form for the Silver Arrows in 2026, with the constructors’ championship leader asserting early authority at one of the calendar’s most demanding circuits.
As it happened in the Japanese GP FP1
Russell and Antonelli: the intra-team battle continues
Russell and Antonelli traded blows from the start. The gap stayed razor-thin throughout the session.
Antonelli locked up on a soft-tyre run and lost a chance to go fastest. He briefly moved ahead when Russell ran wide, but Russell struck back with a 1:31.666 lap to reclaim P1.
The title fight adds weight to every session. Russell leads Antonelli by four points, with one win each so far this season. Suzuka, a track that punishes mistakes, could change that balance.
A strong start for McLaren after the China disaster
After a difficult weekend in China, McLaren needed stability. Norris and Oscar Piastri delivered that with third and fourth.
Norris lost early track time due to a car issue and logged just 20 laps. Even so, his pace looked solid. Piastri ran a clean session but had traffic on a late push lap, telling his team, “That didn’t go well.”
The team still sees itself behind Mercedes and Ferrari, but this was a step forward.
Ferrari: close but not close enough yet
Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished fifth and sixth. The pace was there early.
Leclerc briefly led during the opening runs on hard tyres. But once the soft tyres came in, Mercedes pulled ahead. Hamilton ended nearly four tenths off Russell.
Ferrari remains in the fight. The gap is not huge, but it is clear.
Red Bull struggling, Verstappen with a wobble
Max Verstappen could only manage seventh. His car looked unstable through the fast sections.
A couple of moments stood out for the four-time world champion. Verstappen had a big wobble on one of the corner exits, costing him time and then had another moment entering the final chicane.
Red Bull ran heavy aero tests with flow-vis paint, searching for answers. Teammate Isack Hadjar struggled more. He reported brake issues and finished 13th after an early snap of oversteer.
On commentary, Jolyon Palmer summed up the challenge: “There is a reduction in downforce this year, the cars are going to move around, they’re going to be a bit more lively for the drivers.”
How the rest of the field shaped up
Alexander Albon had a rough session for Williams. He ran wide into the gravel early and later collided with Sergio Perez, bringing out a late yellow flag.
Aston Martin handed FP1 duties to Jak Crawford in place of Fernando Alonso. He completed 11 laps and finished 22nd, while Lance Stroll ended 21st.
Further up, rookie Arvid Lindblad impressed again. He broke into the top 10 despite no prior experience at Suzuka. Team mate Liam Lawson finished eighth, just ahead of Esteban Ocon in ninth.
The midfield looks tight. Small margins could decide Saturday’s qualifying runs.
Tyre and track considerations
Pirelli brought the hardest compounds at Suzuka: C1, C2 and C3. The C1 made its first appearance of the season.
The track started with cool surface conditions. Grip was low early, especially on the newly resurfaced sections. Teams focused on long runs and aero checks before switching to soft tyres mid-session.
Mercedes moved early onto the C3s and immediately set some fast laps. Others followed, but the gap stayed, with McLaren’s Lando Norris almost one and a half tenths off the pace of Russell.
Full FP1 results, 2026 Japanese GP
| Pos. | Driver | Time / Gap | Laps |
| 1 | George Russell | 1:31.666 | 27 |
| 2 | Kimi Antonelli | +0.026s | 26 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | +0.132s | 20 |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | +0.199s | 23 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | +0.289s | 25 |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | +0.374s | 23 |
| 7 | Max Verstappen | +0.791s | 27 |
| 8 | Liam Lawson | +0.863s | 27 |
| 9 | Esteban Ocon | +0.935s | 23 |
| 10 | Arvid Lindblad | +0.999s | 29 |
| 11 | Gabriel Bortoleto | +1.093s | 27 |
| 12 | Nico Hulkenberg | +1.132s | 26 |
| 13 | Isack Hadjar | +1.137s | 27 |
| 14 | Oliver Bearman | +1.234s | 27 |
| 15 | Pierre Gasly | +1.312s | 25 |
| 16 | Franco Colapinto | +1.695s | 24 |
| 17 | Carlos Sainz | +1.717s | 26 |
| 18 | Alexander Albon | +2.031s | 22 |
| 19 | Sergio Perez | +2.555s | 18 |
| 20 | Valtteri Bottas | +2.824s | 24 |
| 21 | Lance Stroll | +3.628s | 22 |
| 22 | Jak Crawford | +4.696s | 11 |
The session ended without a clear favourite for the weekend. Mercedes leads, but only just.
At Suzuka, small gaps rarely stay small for long.
