Suzuka Friday once again hinted at a possible McLaren dominance. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finished ahead of everyone, separated by just 49 thousandths. The two Racing Bulls, the Ferrari cars, and George Russell were all very close behind, within less than a tenth, chasing the papaya cars. Of course, the second session was affected by four red flags, so no race pace evaluations were possible, and FP3 will be crucial to get a clearer picture.
Norris and Piastri keeping an eye on Russell
There’s a feeling that Mercedes could be in the fight, at least for the podium: both Piastri and Norris pointed out that George Russell might be a threat to the Woking team, especially in qualifying—a key factor on a track like Suzuka, where overtaking is extremely difficult. Considering the Englishman’s strong start to the season, the McLaren drivers’ concerns may be well-founded.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli may be facing a few more difficulties: the driver from Bologna is still in his learning phase and needs smooth sessions to build confidence with the car, especially on such a demanding circuit. Suzuka is certainly one of the most challenging tracks in the world—let alone with an F1 car—and the numerous red flags during FP2 don’t help drivers like the 18-year-old Italian, eager to accumulate mileage.
The W16 is nonetheless a car that has performed well so far: Russell managed to bring it to the podium in both of the first two races, thanks to both the driver’s skill and the strong performance of a car that was well-born—much better than its predecessors and perhaps a bit easier to drive. Fighting for victory with McLaren may sound ambitious, but on tracks like this, where qualifying matters more than elsewhere, they can try to go for it—especially since Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris aren’t always completely flawless.
Mercedes in the mix for the Japanese GP
Russell was indeed considered a potential threat by the papaya pair—and rightly so, given the consistency the former Williams driver has shown in this very early part of the season. His sixth place in today’s second session doesn’t mean much—the four red flags prevent any detailed analysis of what we might see over the weekend, which is why FP3 will be particularly interesting.
“It was a positive day,” Geiorge Russell admitted. “The car responded well, although the wind change expected tomorrow might affect performance. McLaren again proved very competitive, as did other teams on low-fuel runs. It’s unusual to see such close gaps between teams, so we’ll have to give it everything to stay at the front. If we work well, we can aim for the first two rows in qualifying.”
“The FP2 interruptions left some question marks for the race. We only completed four laps on the Hard tyres, collecting little data on degradation and graining. Plus, Sunday’s rain threat could shuffle the deck. We were still competitive on lap times, which gives us a good foundation for the rest of the weekend.”
Kimi Antonelli’s understandable struggles
Kimi Antonelli is making his Suzuka debut, and the red flags didn’t help him on a track where it’s crucial to quickly find rhythm—especially in the first sector, which was the Bologna-born driver’s weak point in FP2. The impression, understandable given the age and experience gap, is that Russell is starting to take the upper hand—but that’s normal, as Kimi’s learning curve is still in its early stages, so no one should be surprised by an unremarkable sixteenth place on Friday.
“FP1 was a solid session for us, where I managed to complete some competitive laps,” said the 18-year-old at the end of the day. “FP2, on the other hand, was more chaotic and interrupted, and I wasn’t able to put together a clean lap, especially in the first sector. We’ll have to work on it overnight, analyze the data, and make sure we come back stronger tomorrow.”
“There are encouraging signs, though. George had a positive day and stayed consistently near the front. The car’s balance also seems good, and I know I can still improve and get more out of it. I’m looking forward to getting back on track in FP3 and making the most of the work done ahead of qualifying.”
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