The opening practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix offered an early glimpse into the competitive order, with Mercedes emerging as the standout performers. After dealing with concerns over their active aerodynamics system in recent days, the Silver Arrows responded in style by locking out the top two positions in FP1 at the iconic Suzuka Circuit.
Leading the way was George Russell, who posted a best lap time of 1:31.666 to set the benchmark for the session. Close behind him was teammate Kimi Antonelli, just 0.026 seconds adrift, underlining Mercedes’ strong start to the weekend. The team will take confidence from this result as they look to convert practice pace into a competitive qualifying performance.
Behind them, McLaren showed encouraging signs of recovery after a disappointing outing in China, where both cars failed to even start the race. At Suzuka, however, the papaya-clad team appeared far more competitive. Lando Norris secured third place, just over a tenth off Russell’s time, while teammate Oscar Piastri followed closely in fourth. Their performance suggests McLaren may be back in contention as the weekend unfolds.
The Ferrari duo slotted into fifth and sixth, with Charles Leclerc narrowly ahead of Lewis Hamilton. While not quite matching the pace of Mercedes or McLaren in this session, Ferrari remained within striking distance, leaving room for optimism as teams continue fine-tuning their setups.
A notable surprise came from Red Bull Racing, as reigning world champion Max Verstappen could only manage seventh place, nearly eight-tenths off the leading time. Although it is still early in the weekend and practice sessions often do not reflect true performance, the gap raised questions about Red Bull’s current form at Suzuka.
Further down the order, Liam Lawson delivered a solid run to take eighth for Racing Bulls, despite a moment of instability during the session. Esteban Ocon and Arvid Lindblad rounded out the top ten for Haas and Racing Bulls respectively, both showing respectable pace in the early stages of the weekend.
The session itself was relatively smooth, with only a handful of minor incidents interrupting proceedings. Alex Albon initially brushed the barriers earlier in the hour before becoming involved in a more dramatic moment late on. In the closing minutes, he collided with Sergio Perez at the final chicane after the Cadillac driver failed to spot the Williams car on the inside line. Fortunately, the incident did not result in major consequences, but it did bring a brief period of disruption.
Elsewhere, one of the more unusual storylines involved Fernando Alonso stepping aside for the session to allow young American driver Jak Crawford to take the wheel of the Aston Martin. Crawford managed just 11 laps during his outing, gaining valuable experience despite limited running time in the demanding conditions of Suzuka.
The remainder of the field saw midfield teams like Audi, Alpine, and Williams working through their programs, focusing on setup adjustments and data collection rather than outright pace. With no sprint format this weekend, teams benefit from three full practice sessions, giving them ample opportunity to refine their cars ahead of qualifying.
Attention now shifts to FP2, scheduled for later on Friday, where teams will continue their preparations. With competitive gaps already emerging and several teams showing promising speed, the battle for pole position at Suzuka is shaping up to be an intriguing contest.
