George Russell set the fastest time in Free Practice 1 at Suzuka with a 1:31.666 on Soft tyres, leading teammate Kimi Antonelli by 0.026 seconds. The first hour of track action at the Japanese Grand Prix confirmed what the paddock suspected: the competitive order hasn't changed, and the problems haven't gone away.
Mercedes Still Sets the Benchmark
Russell and Antonelli occupied the top two positions as they have in every session of the 2026 season. The gap between them — 26 thousandths — is close enough to suggest neither has shown their hand. With FP2 still to come and qualifying on Saturday under the new 8MJ energy recharge limit, Friday's times are a reference point rather than a verdict.
Lando Norris gave McLaren its most encouraging sign of the season in P3, 0.132 seconds off Russell on Soft tyres. After a double DNS in China, simply getting both McLarens on track and running competitively is meaningful. Oscar Piastri followed in P4 on Medium compound — a different tyre — making direct comparison difficult, but the pace is there.
Verstappen's Reality Check at His Favourite Track
Max Verstappen completed 11 laps and finished P7 with a 1:32.457 — 0.791 seconds off Russell's benchmark on Medium tyres. The tyre compound difference partially explains the gap, but at a circuit where Verstappen has been unbeaten since 2022, P7 on the timesheet in FP1 is not the statement anyone in the Red Bull garage wanted to make.
The four Red Bull upgrades presented at Suzuka — sidepod inlet, engine cover, floor, and rear corner — are being evaluated in real time. Whether they close the gap to Mercedes and Ferrari by qualifying is the defining question of Red Bull's weekend.
Aston Martin Survives, Honda Watches Closely
Lance Stroll completed the session in P21, 3.628 seconds off the pace. Jak Crawford, replacing Fernando Alonso in the rookie programme slot, ended in P22 — though Crawford's FP1 appearance is part of a planned rotation, not a crisis measure.
The significant data point: both Aston Martin cars completed the session without the mechanical failures that ended their races in Australia and China. Honda arrived at Suzuka with a further countermeasure implemented for the vibration problem. Whether that holds through race distance on Sunday is a separate question — but finishing FP1 is the minimum the team needed at their engine supplier's home circuit.
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The Numbers That Matter Heading Into FP2
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in P5 and Lewis Hamilton in P6 continue to confirm the Scuderia as the second-fastest operation on the grid. The gap to Mercedes — 0.289 and 0.374 seconds respectively — is consistent with what was seen in Australia and China.
The 8MJ qualifying energy limit change will be the dominant conversation on Saturday. FP1 was run under normal race conditions — the real test of whether the FIA's intervention changes the qualifying picture comes tomorrow.
FUENTES:
- Formula 1 — Official FP1 Timing
- The Race — Last-minute Japanese GP rule change
- Sky Sports — Japanese GP preview
- PlanetF1 — Honda countermeasures Suzuka
- Coffee Corner Motorsport — Japanese GP preview
INTERNAL LINKS:
- "Honda countermeasure" → Honda F1 Engine Crisis 2026
- "double DNS in China" → Chinese GP 2026: Antonelli Wins, McLaren Collapses
- "8MJ qualifying energy limit" → FIA Cuts Qualifying Energy Limit at Suzuka
