2026 Japanese Grand Prix FP1: Mercedes Sets Early Pace at Suzuka
The iconic Suzuka International Racing Course roared back to life for the opening practice session of the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix, delivering an intriguing glimpse into the competitive landscape of the season. Mercedes emerged as the dominant force, with George Russell consistently topping the timesheets, closely shadowed by his rising star teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli. This session, crucial for fine-tuning setups and understanding tire performance on the demanding circuit, unfolded with a mix of impressive performances, unexpected struggles, and dramatic on-track incidents, setting a vibrant tone for the highly anticipated race weekend.
World championship leader George Russell showcased formidable pace throughout the initial hour of running. His consistency was remarkable, first setting the benchmark on hard compound tires and then improving further after switching to the softer compounds, maintaining his lead. However, the biggest surprise and perhaps the most encouraging sign for Mercedes was the performance of his teammate, Andrea Kimi Antonelli. The young driver mirrored Russell’s speed, finishing just two hundredths of a second behind, indicating a strong package from the Brackley-based squad and formidable internal competition.
Russell’s fastest lap time of 1’31.666 offered an initial comparison to previous years, notably being over three seconds slower than the best time recorded in the same session last year and a significant 4.6 seconds off the pole position time from the preceding season. This variance can be attributed to several factors, including evolving car regulations and the crucial detail of energy management. Drivers are permitted to recharge 9 megajoules (MJ) of energy per lap during practice, a strategic allowance that will be reduced to 8 MJ for the intensity of qualifying. This technical adjustment often leads to more conservative running in practice, as teams manage their power units and gather data without pushing the absolute limits.
Challengers Emerge as McLaren Impresses
The session produced an unusually uniform set of results across the grid, with almost every team seeing their drivers end up in consecutive positions. This tight grouping at the top underscored the competitive nature of the 2026 season. Among the leading contenders, the top three teams—Mercedes, McLaren, and Ferrari—were separated by less than four tenths of a second. Notably, McLaren demonstrated exceptional pace, positioning themselves as Mercedes’ closest rivals in FP1, ahead of Ferrari, which might come as a surprise to some given the Prancing Horse’s strong form in recent races. Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri delivered clean, fast laps, suggesting that the Woking-based team has found a strong balance for the challenging Suzuka track.
Ferrari, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, settled into the fifth and sixth positions respectively. While their times were competitive, they faced a slightly larger deficit to Mercedes compared to McLaren. This early indication suggests Ferrari might have some work to do on their setup to unlock more pace, particularly as the weekend progresses towards the critical qualifying session and the race itself.
Red Bull’s Early Hurdles
In contrast to Mercedes’ smooth start, the Red Bull camp experienced a more challenging opening session. World champion Max Verstappen, despite his best efforts, could only manage a time within eight tenths of a second of Russell’s benchmark. Both Red Bull drivers, Verstappen and Isack Hadjar, vocalized their dissatisfaction with the car’s balance. Furthermore, they reported persistent downshift problems, a complaint that is not entirely uncommon for the team during practice sessions as they test various settings and components. These technical glitches and handling issues will be a significant concern for the reigning champions, who typically aim to start their weekends with dominant performances. Hadjar, in particular, struggled to break into the top 10, highlighting the challenges faced by the team.
Midfield Drama and Noteworthy Moments
The midfield provided its fair share of drama and intriguing narratives. One year after his unexpected demotion from Red Bull, Liam Lawson delivered a commendable performance for Racing Bulls, ending the session impressively close behind his former teammate Verstappen. This resurgence suggests Lawson is eager to prove his worth and capitalize on every opportunity. His new teammate, Arvid Lindblad, was fortunate to escape damage after a significant and dramatic snap of oversteer while navigating the notoriously fast and flowing Spoon Curve. The young driver managed to keep his car out of the barriers, taking to the run-off area, but it was a stark reminder of Suzuka’s unforgiving nature. Lindblad was one of several drivers to grapple with the complexities of Spoon Curve, but his moment was by far the most dramatic, yet he still managed to slot into the top 10, just behind Esteban Ocon’s Haas.
Further down the grid, the teammates were neatly paired up, reflecting overall team performance rather than individual discrepancies. Alexander Albon endured a particularly eventful session for Williams. His journey to the 18th-fastest time included a dramatic slide off the track at Degner Two, where he narrowly avoided a major crash by brushing the barrier, thankfully without significant damage. However, his session took a turn for the worse later on.
In a bold move, Albon lunged down the inside of Sergio Perez at the tight chicane. The Cadillac driver, unaware of the Williams’ presence alongside him, turned in for the corner as planned, leading to an unavoidable contact between the two cars. Both vehicles sustained damage, requiring attention from their respective garages and disrupting their planned running. This incident highlighted the tight margins and aggressive nature of FP1 as drivers push limits.
Perez’s difficult session didn’t end there. He also had a close encounter with George Russell at the very same chicane earlier in the session. This near-miss prompted a radio complaint from the Mercedes driver, who otherwise enjoyed a smooth and productive start to his Grand Prix weekend, underlining the potential dangers even during practice.
Fernando Alonso was notably absent from the opening session, having arrived late to Suzuka following the joyous occasion of the birth of his first child. Aston Martin’s reserve driver, Jak Crawford, stepped in to fill his shoes. This provided Crawford with invaluable track time and allowed Aston Martin to fulfill one of their mandated obligations to run an inexperienced driver in a first practice session, offering a crucial development opportunity for young talent.
Stewards’ Investigation Looms for Hamilton and Verstappen
Adding another layer of intrigue to the session, the race stewards summoned Lewis Hamilton for a potential impeding incident involving Max Verstappen. The alleged obstruction occurred on the high-speed run towards the formidable 130R corner, one of Formula 1’s most challenging turns. Impeding in such a critical, high-speed section of the track is taken very seriously by the stewards, and Hamilton will face an investigation to determine if he created an unsafe situation for Verstappen. The outcome of this inquiry could lead to penalties, potentially affecting his grid position for Sunday’s race.
2026 Japanese Grand Prix First Practice Result
| P. | # | Driver | Team | Model | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | W17 | 1’31.666 | |
| 2 | 12 | Andrea Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | W17 | 1’31.692 | 0.026 |
| 3 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL40 | 1’31.798 | 0.132 |
| 4 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren-Mercedes | MCL40 | 1’31.865 | 0.199 |
| 5 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | SF-26 | 1’31.955 | 0.289 |
| 6 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | SF-26 | 1’32.040 | 0.374 |
| 7 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull-Red Bull-Ford | RB22 | 1’32.457 | 0.791 |
| 8 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls-Red Bull-Ford | 03 | 1’32.529 | 0.863 |
| 9 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas-Ferrari | VF-26 | 1’32.601 | 0.935 |
| 10 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls-Red Bull-Ford | 03 | 1’32.665 | 0.999 |
| 11 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | R26 | 1’32.759 | 1.093 |
| 12 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | R26 | 1’32.798 | 1.132 |
| 13 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull-Red Bull-Ford | RB22 | 1’32.803 | 1.137 |
| 14 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas-Ferrari | VF-26 | 1’32.900 | 1.234 |
| 15 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine-Mercedes | A526 | 1’32.978 | 1.312 |
| 16 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine-Mercedes | A526 | 1’33.361 | 1.695 |
| 17 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jnr | Williams-Mercedes | FW48 | 1’33.383 | 1.717 |
| 18 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams-Mercedes | FW48 | 1’33.697 | 2.031 |
| 19 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac-Ferrari | MAC-26 | 1’34.221 | 2.555 |
| 20 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac-Ferrari | MAC-26 | 1’34.490 | 2.824 |
| 21 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin-Honda | AMR26 | 1’35.294 | 3.628 |
| 22 | 34 | Jak Crawford | Aston Martin-Honda | AMR26 | 1’36.362 | 4.696 |
More from the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix
- Alpine denies “sabotaging” Colapinto and criticises social media “hate” posts
- Verstappen starts season with lowest score over three rounds since his debut in F1
- Poor starts a ‘very high priority’ for Mercedes as drivers lose 21 places in four races
- “Two balls of steel!” How Leclerc won his battery battle with Hamilton and Russell
- Was Bearman right to question Colapinto’s role in his huge Suzuka crash?
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