F1 Results Today: Yuki Tsunoda shines on Red Bull debut amid Lando Norris….read more
Formula 1 returned to the iconic Suzuka Circuit on Friday, marking the start of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend with a relatively straightforward opening hour of practice. In the first session of the weekend, Lando Norris set the fastest lap, but it wasn’t without difficulty, as the McLaren driver expressed frustration over his car’s handling, particularly with the graining of his tyres.
Although Norris showed impressive pace, consistently leading the pack, he struggled to adapt his car to the track’s demands, going wide on several occasions. His radio communication with the McLaren team indicated that the tyres were a significant challenge, with the Brit mentioning issues of tyre graining. This gave an early indication that the weekend might not go as smoothly as expected for the McLaren team, despite the car’s recent form.
On the other hand, Yuki Tsunoda was a standout performer during the session. The Japanese driver, making his debut as a senior Red Bull driver after his shock promotion from Racing Bulls, impressed on his home turf. Tsunoda looked comfortable and confident in his new role, even though it was only the first practice session. The performance was particularly significant given the pressure of racing at Suzuka, where the local support and media attention were bound to be high.
In terms of the overall results, Norris finished the session in P1 with a time of 1:28.549, narrowly ahead of George Russell in second, who was 0.163 seconds behind. Charles Leclerc took third place, just 0.416 seconds off Norris’s best time, followed closely by Lewis Hamilton in fourth, 0.502 seconds behind. Max Verstappen, currently leading the championship, rounded out the top five, 0.516 seconds slower than Norris.
Tsunoda’s performance was noteworthy, as he finished the session in sixth place with a time of 1:29.172, just 0.623 seconds off the fastest lap. Fernando Alonso, another veteran in the sport, took seventh, while Isack Hadjar, driving for Racing Bulls, surprised many by securing an eighth-place finish. Kimi Antonelli in ninth and Carlos Sainz, who was 10th, rounded out the top 10.
Further down the list, Alex Albon (P11) and Ryo Hirakawa (P12) represented Williams and Alpine, respectively. The rest of the session saw drivers like Liam Lawson, Pierre Gasly, and Oscar Piastri further down the order. At the tail end, Lance Stroll, Nico Hulkenberg, Oliver Bearman, Esteban Ocon, and Gabriel Bortoleto completed the timesheet.
Looking ahead, the teams and drivers will aim to refine their setups in FP2 later on Friday, April 4, at 7 am GMT. The first practice session in Suzuka provided valuable insights into the challenges each team faces ahead of the rest of the weekend’s events.
