Racing action returns to the iconic Suzuka Circuit for the opening practice session of the Japanese Grand Prix, and it wasted no time delivering a fast-paced and eventful hour.
Rapid Start and Early Benchmarks
The session began under dry conditions, allowing teams to maximise early running. There was brief concern when Gabriel Bortoleto appeared stranded at the end of the pit lane, but he soon got going to join a fully active circuit.
Ferrari initially set the pace, with Charles Leclerc narrowly edging out Lewis Hamilton by just 10 milliseconds. As grip improved, lap times began to fall, and Oscar Piastri soon surged to the top, briefly leading Max Verstappen.
As the session progressed, George Russell continued to push the benchmark lower, a commanding margin of half a second over Leclerc at that stage. His teammate Kimi Antonelli also impressed, briefly climbing to second and reinforcing Mercedes’ strong early form following recent victories.
Incidents And Interruptions
Despite the generally smooth session, Suzuka’s technical sections began to catch drivers out. The Spoon Curve proved particularly challenging, with multiple drivers, including Russell and Lando Norris, running wide.
Verstappen experienced a snap at the final chicane, while Alex Albon first dealt with a minor issue in the garage before later grazing the barrier out on track. Although he managed to return to the pits, it marked one of the more significant on-track errors of the session. Further drama unfolded late on when contact occurred between Sergio Perez and Albon at the final chicane, which will be investigated post-session.
Running was disrupted for several drivers. Norris’ session was heavily delayed due to work in the garage, while rookie Jak Crawford struggled to put together representative lap times early on. There were also brief stoppages for both Hamilton and Franco Colapinto, though both were able to resume without major consequence.
Russell Leads The Way
By the chequered flag, Russell remained firmly on top, leading Antonelli in a Mercedes one-two by just 26 milliseconds. Norris secured third, narrowly ahead of Piastri.
A largely clean but technically demanding session highlights the challenges of Suzuka with the new regulations, with multiple drivers pushing beyond the limit in pursuit of pace. With Mercedes continuing its strong run of form and several incidents under review, the stage is set for an intriguing remainder of the Japanese Grand Prix weekend.