2026 Japanese GP FP1: Russell sets early benchmark

George Russell laid down an early marker in the opening practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix, leading a Mercedes one-two ahead of team-mate Kimi Antonelli. On a circuit that traditionally separates confidence from compromise, the Silver Arrows wasted little time asserting themselves, with Russell’s benchmark lap of 1m 31.666s enough to edge Antonelli by just 0.026s, while reigning World Champion Lando Norris completed the top three.

Arriving in Japan after the season’s opening double-header in Australia and China, all 22 drivers returned to the cockpit on Friday morning at one of Formula 1’s most technically demanding venues. Suzuka’s flowing, high-speed layout provided an immediate test bed for the new-generation cars, with teams keen to gather as much early data as possible. A queue formed at the end of the pit lane as the session began, with the hard compound tyres proving the preferred starting point. Ferrari were first to show their hand, as Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc traded early benchmark times in the opening phase.

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Across the grid, the session carried a clear developmental focus. Aero rakes and flow-vis paint were widely deployed as teams gathered correlation data for analysis ahead of the Miami round in April. Aston Martin was among those prioritising evaluation work, handing Fernando Alonso’s car to third driver Jak Crawford for the opening session at Honda’s home circuit.

2026 Japanese Grand Prix FP1 Results

2026 Japanese Grand Prix FP1, 27 March 2026

Russell soon moved to the top of the timesheets, his lap coinciding with an early moment of drama for Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, who suffered a sudden snap of oversteer and reported issues with cold brakes and instability. As track evolution began to take hold, Leclerc briefly edged ahead, with just 0.079s covering the top four approaching the halfway mark. Antonelli and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri—yet to start a Grand Prix this season—remained firmly in contention as the margins tightened.

The competitive picture shifted again as soft tyres were introduced. Russell responded first, reclaiming control of the session by finding over two tenths on the red-walled compound, reinforcing Mercedes’ strength over a single lap. Antonelli, fresh from his maiden victory in China, then briefly displaced his team-mate at the top after improving his own time and capitalising on a mistake from Russell, who ran wide on a push lap. Despite multiple drivers wrestling with oversteer, Antonelli remained the only driver to break Russell’s rhythm—albeit temporarily—before the Briton returned to P1 for good.

Further down the order, Alex Albon endured a scrappy session as Williams trialled an upgraded front suspension. The Thai driver ran wide over the gravel at Degner 2 and brushed the barrier, escaping without major damage but dropping to P17. His difficulties compounded late on when he made contact with Cadillac’s Sergio Perez at the same corner, scattering debris across the track in an incident set to be reviewed after the session.

At the front, Russell’s time held firm through the closing stages, securing Mercedes another statement result as they debuted a striking wolf-inspired livery for Suzuka. Behind them, McLaren showed encouraging signs of recovery after their double DNS in China, with Norris and Piastri finishing third and fourth ahead of Ferrari’s Leclerc and Hamilton.

Max Verstappen could only manage seventh as Red Bull continued to search for answers, with Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson just behind after a late-session moment involving Alpine’s Franco Colapinto. Esteban Ocon and Arvid Lindblad completed the top ten, while Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto and Nico Hulkenberg slotted into P11 and P12, respectively.

Hadjar’s troubled session left him down in 13th, ahead of Ollie Bearman and Alpine duo Pierre Gasly and Colapinto. Carlos Sainz led the Williams pairing in P16, with Albon’s incident with 19th-placed Perez under investigation. Valtteri Bottas and the Aston Martin entries of Lance Stroll and Crawford rounded out the classification.