Suzuka delivered a busy Friday. Oscar Piastri set the fastest time in first practice at the Japanese Grand Prix, and George Russell admitted he was a little taken aback by how quick McLaren looked.

Friday snapshot

Piastri finished the day quickest, 0.092 seconds clear of Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli. Russell was third, 0.205s off Piastri and 0.113s behind Antonelli. Lando Norris was fourth, followed by Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

Top running order (end of Friday)

  • Oscar Piastri - fastest
  • Kimi Antonelli - +0.092s
  • George Russell - +0.205s
  • Lando Norris
  • Charles Leclerc
  • Lewis Hamilton

Russell's take

Russell said McLaren looked faster than expected. He acknowledged there is still work to do overnight, particularly on energy management and getting the car better optimised for qualifying.

His lap was being hurt by how he negotiated Spoon corner, which left him with less battery charge later in the lap. Deputy team principal Bradley Lord explained that Russell was hitting the harvesting limit earlier than Antonelli, costing him time out of the final corner.

Is Suzuka still a proper test?

There had been worry that tighter energy rules would blunt some of Suzuka's high-speed character. Russell pushed back on that idea, noting the Esses remain very quick and top speed down the back straight is higher than ever for the current cars.

Not everyone agreed. Max Verstappen, down in 10th and 1.376s off the pace, said the reduced energy recovery in medium and high-speed sections was making some parts of the track less challenging. He also reported serious balance and grip problems, describing his setup as swinging between two extremes and costing lap time.

Qualifying picture and race sims

Mercedes saw signs that McLaren could be quick over one lap, though McLaren staff remained doubtful. In race-simulation runs Mercedes looked strong, with Antonelli leading Russell. Piastri was slower on those long runs - about 0.25s behind Antonelli and roughly 0.5s off Russell in average race trim.

Other notes from the paddock

  • Lando Norris missed the first half of the final session with a hydraulic leak and spent much of the morning doing aerodynamic tests. He said he lacked laps and confidence around a track like Suzuka.
  • Ferrari drivers struggled for grip. Leclerc had a wobble through the Esses and ran wide at Spoon, while Hamilton said he had no confidence in his car.
  • Several teams suffered technical issues: Arvid Lindblad needed a gearbox replacement, Gabriel Bortoleto spent most of a session in the garage with a problem, and Sergio Perez missed around half a session while his team repaired floor damage after a collision with Alex Albon.
  • Fernando Alonso, who arrived in Japan late after the birth of his first child, ran only in the second session and was 19th fastest, 0.355s ahead of team-mate Lance Stroll.

Honda and Aston Martin update

Honda F1 boss Koji Watanabe acknowledged earlier reliability and performance problems with the Honda engine in the Aston Martin partnership. He said the team has focused on reducing vibration and battery-area damage and has improved energy management for the home race.

Mercedes still lead the early championship battle, with Russell holding a narrow advantage over his team-mate Antonelli after the opening rounds. Qualifying will clarify whether McLaren's one-lap pace is a real threat or an attractive Friday headline.