Oscar Piastri records fastest lap in FP2 in Suzuka and surpasses Mercedes By Bruna
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McLaren’s Oscar Piastri recorded the fastest time in the second free practice for Grande Prêmio of Japão of The 24-year-old Australian overtook the Mercedes Kimi Antonelli and George Russell drivers, who took second and third place respectively. Current world champion Lando Norris completed McLaren’s strong performance by finishing fourth.
The McLaren team showed recovery after the disappointment in China, where both cars did not start due to technical problems. Piastri set the fastest lap in the Friday afternoon session, with the Mercedes drivers close behind. Max Verstappen, from Red Bull, faced difficulties and did not go beyond tenth place on the timesheet.
- Piastri led the session with a lap time of 1min30s133 on the soft compounds.
- Antonelli was 0.092s behind the Australian’s time.
- Russell finished 0.205s behind Piastri.
- Norris recorded McLaren’s fourth fastest time.
Team performance in free training
Mercedes maintained a strong presence in training, with Russell leading the first free training session in the morning and Antonelli in second. The two drivers from the German team occupy the top positions in the overall championship standings after the first two stages of the season. Russell has a four-point advantage over his younger teammate.
The Ferrari cars of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished in fifth and sixth place, respectively. The starting position remains a strong point for the Italian team with the technical regulations in force this season. McLaren is looking to regain consistency after recent setbacks.
Reactions of those involved after training
Piastri assessed the day as positive for the team. Ele highlighted progress especially in the second session, although he acknowledged that there is still work to be done given the competitiveness of Mercedes. The McLaren Racing director reinforced the cautious tone and stated that the hierarchy between the teams has not fundamentally changed since the last race.
The session took place amid the new technical regulations of Fórmula 1, which came into force this season. Car adaptations have influenced the performances observed so far during the Japanese weekend. The teams continue to adjust settings for the main race scheduled for Sunday.
Situation in the drivers’ championship
George Kimi Antonelli, 19 years old, won the main race in Xangai and remains close in contention. The results of free practice in Suzuka indicate that the fight for pole position should be fierce between McLaren and Mercedes.
Challenges of Red Bull and Ferrari
Max Verstappen was unable to improve its position in the second session and finished outside the top 5. As Ferraris showed potential in previous classifications, but had to settle for intermediate positions in Friday’s free practice.
Change in team Audi
Audi recently announced the departure of team leader Jonathan Wheatley for personal reasons. Mattia Binotto temporarily assumed the duties of principal and commented that the decision was surprising and quick. The team takes advantage of the break in racing in April, after the cancellation of the stages at Bahrein and Arábia Saudita, to reorganize its structure.
Binotto stated that the team is not looking for an immediate replacement for Wheatley. Especula It is assumed that family factors and proposals from other teams influenced the decision. Audi, which took over the project from Sauber for 2026, focuses on the clean execution of activities during upcoming events.
Fórmula 1 continues with preparations for the third stage of the season at Japão, where free practice sessions serve as a basis for final adjustments before qualifying and the race. Teams analyze the data collected to define competitive strategies.
