Even for the third round of F1, McLaren started strong, as expected. The favor of the predictions was in the hands of the historic British team. Although the International Federation’s inspections will be more specific, regarding the wing flexion, this situation does not seem to have affected the team at all. A team that wants to make the most of Suzuka, taking advantage of the MCL39’s superiority.
Strong wind and resurfacing complicate life for the MCL39 Piastri described the free practice day at the Japanese Grand Prix as particularly difficult, with several factors complicating the team’s work. The resurfacing of some sections of the track and the strong gusts of wind made the car unpredictable, with the balance changing from one corner to another, a factor that troubled the driver.
Suzuka is a track very sensitive to the wind. Oscar acknowledged how the weather conditions affected the management of the F1 car. The interruptions during FP2 further complicated the work, but despite everything, by the end of the day, the Australian driver said he felt more comfortable behind the wheel of his McLaren. However, he emphasized that fine-tuning the car’s setup is still necessary.
Some details need correction, as the second F1 session wasn’t easy at all On the competitiveness front, Piastri mentioned that in FP1, he struggled to find the right rhythm and extract the car’s full potential. However, the situation improved in the afternoon, even though it remains difficult for the team to make definitive predictions about their competitiveness.
He pointed out Mercedes’ speed, which seems to be one of the fastest rivals, complicating the possibility of drawing firm conclusions. Nevertheless, Oscar Piastri expressed optimism about his car’s race pace and was generally confident about the rest of the weekend, while acknowledging that the situation is still uncertain and that staying alert will be necessary to adapt to every circumstance.
Difficult to draw conclusions from this session Lando Norris described his Friday at Suzuka with a mix of satisfaction and realism, highlighting that the day had gone fairly well and that McLaren was in a good position. The Briton emphasized the difficulties related to the wind, which changed frequently, making it particularly challenging to push to the maximum and find the car’s limit.
Despite this, Lando pointed out that all F1 teams faced the same situation. He said he was satisfied with his feeling with the car, indicating that the team had made progress on the setup. However, he also admitted that there was still work to be done to further improve the setup for tomorrow. Regarding the competitiveness of other teams, the Englishman noted that, after only two races, it is still difficult to say with certainty where the other teams stand.
He did, however, note a competitive Mercedes, with George Russell being very quick in the first session, while Red Bull seemed a bit farther off. Finally, he commented on the difficulties of FP2, with the constant interruptions making the times less significant and the analysis more difficult to interpret. There was no mention of Ferrari, which, contrary to what team principal Andrea Stella had said, clearly does not worry the British F1 team at the moment.
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