F1 Suzuka FP2 report: Oscar Piastri shines for McLaren ahead of Mercedes. In FP2 at Suzuka, Oscar Piastri puts McLaren on top with a fastest lap.

In the anticipated battle between Mercedes and the chasing Ferrari, McLaren has unexpectedly inserted itself into the mix. The Woking-based team ended the second free practice session at the top thanks to Oscar Piastri, who set the fastest lap at 1:30.133, almost a tenth ahead of the leading Mercedes, driven by Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

On a single-lap pace, the Woking car appeared significantly more comfortable than in recent Grand Prix events, continuing its development path in maximizing the Mercedes power unit—an essential piece in the quest for outright performance. However, the British team’s day was not entirely smooth: Lando Norris finishing fourth only tells part of the story.

The British driver lost the first half of the session due to a technical issue on his McLaren, which forced him to stay in the garage for an extended period before attempting a series of fast laps, first on medium tires and then on softs. With limited fuel on board, Norris was unable to complete a proper long-run simulation with a higher fuel load.

Third fastest was the other Mercedes, driven by George Russell, although he trailed by two-tenths. Ferrari’s deficit was more notable: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were fifth and sixth, separated by around one-tenth. The Maranello cars lost roughly seven-tenths to Piastri’s McLaren, mainly due to slower speed on the straights and in corner entry at certain sectors, including the “S” curves, where they arrive at lower speed compared to their rivals.

For Ferrari, there is still work to be done on car balance, with both drivers needing multiple corrections through the corners. During the race simulation, Hamilton reported via team radio that his pace was slow due to a lack of confidence in the car. Beyond individual difficulties, reading true race pace is more complicated here because of heavy traffic, but even in this respect, Mercedes seems to have an advantage, judging by Russell’s data.

Nico Hulkenberg impressed with Audi, on a track likely better suited to highlight certain characteristics of the four-ring power unit. The German finished seventh, although from this point onward, the gap to the front widens significantly—over 1.3 seconds behind Piastri. Williams also surprised slightly with Alex Albon in eighth, despite the Grove car carrying over twenty kilograms more than the minimum weight limit.

What remains unsurprising is that the chasing pack is tightly bunched. Between Hulkenberg in seventh and Carlos Sainz in 13th, only 1.5 tenths separate them, and the margin shrinks further when referencing Esteban Ocon in the Haas, 11th and just nine hundredths behind the Audi driver. Also in this group is Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who struggled with persistent understeer throughout the session.

The Dutch driver ended in tenth, over 1.3 seconds behind Piastri’s McLaren, while the second Red Bull, driven by Isack Hadjar, finished five places further back, another three-tenths adrift. Completing the timesheet were the two Cadillacs and the two Aston Martins.

Box issues also affected the session. In addition to Norris losing half the session, both Sergio Perez and Gabriel Bortoleto were delayed in their garages, managing to run only in the final phase. Arvid Lindblad was far less fortunate, completing only a single lap before a forced stop ended his FP2 session, particularly significant as Suzuka is one of the circuits he has never previously experienced.

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