George Russell set the pace in FP1 as teams focused heavily on testing and data collection during the opening session at the legendary Suzuka Circuit.
Mercedes sets the early benchmark for the weekend
It was another dominant session for Mercedes, with George putting in the fastest lap of a 1:31.666. His teammate Kimi Antonelli wasn’t too far behind with just +0.026s separating him from George.
While it was a Mercedes 1-2, just like we saw in Australia and China, it seems like McLaren and Ferrari are improving with every session.
McLaren is finding pace
After a double DNS, the McLaren drivers are more determined than ever to have a clean, strong weekend.
Early in the session, it was Oscar Piastri who topped the timesheets briefly. Having a problem-free session, the Australian was focused on getting valuable track time after missing out during the two previous races.
Lando, however, had a disrupted session as he returned to the garage after just one untimed lap to remove the aero rakes from his car. While in the garage, the team changed the rear suspension on his car. He eventually made it out onto the track and was on a mission to climb the timesheets.
In the end, the Papaya drivers finished P3 & P4 with Norris just +0.132 seconds behind Russell.
Struggles continue for Red Bull
Red Bull has brought an upgrade package to Suzuka, which includes reprofiled sidepods and a revised floor. Despite a new upgrade package, the session wasn’t as smooth for the team as they’d have hoped.
Early in the session, Isack Hadjar was struggling with the brakes as his car was pulling to one side under braking. Despite the struggles, the Frenchman managed P13.
Max Verstappen was also struggling throughout the session, managing only 7th.
Eventful session for Williams
Williams, not having had the greatest start to the season so far, used the FP1 to run and test the new front suspension update. To test the upgrade, Alex Albon was sent out with Red Flow-vis paint on his car.
Alex had a few tricky situations across the sessions. Notably, halfway through the session, he skidded wide and clipped a barrier at Degner 2. Later on in the session, the Williams’ driver had an incident with Perez, which resulted in debris falling off the cars and an investigation by the stewards.
Regardless of the tricky session, the team still gathered some valuable data.
Upgrade testing and a rookie session for Aston Martin
The lineup for Aston Martin looked slightly different in FP1, with Jak Crawford replacing Fernando Alonso as part of their rookie session requirements. Crawford managed a handful of laps before retiring the car due to damage.
What to expect from the rest of the weekend
FP1 at Suzuka was primarily about testing, gathering data, and evaluating upgrades. However, it was Mercedes that set the early pace, while McLaren and Ferrari are closing the gap and Red Bull faces work to unlock their new upgrades. With Suzuka’s technical corners and high-speed straights, car balance, strategy, and adaptability will be crucial in the battle for victory this weekend.
Feature Image Credit: Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team