Practice 1 Report - Russell edges Antonelli in Suzuka FP1

Kimi Antonelli
© Mercedes

George Russell set the pace in first practice for the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix, narrowly beating Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli by 0.026s in a closely fought session at Suzuka.

Mercedes continued its strong start to the 2026 season, with Russell’s benchmark 1m31.666s lap just eclipsing Antonelli’s 1m31.692s as the pair traded fastest times through the session. Both drivers have shared the opening two race victories, and their form carried seamlessly into Friday running in Japan.

Russell had established the early reference on hard tyres with a 1m32.429s, running ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, along with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. As the field transitioned to soft tyres, the competitive order tightened, with Antonelli briefly taking over at the top with a 1m31.692s.

A small moment for Russell at Spoon corner did not prevent him from responding immediately, improving to a 1m31.666s that ultimately stood as the fastest lap of the session. Antonelli remained just behind, underlining Mercedes’ clear advantage over the rest of the field.

Norris ended the session third with a 1m31.798s after an initially disrupted programme that included aerodynamic rake testing. Piastri followed with a 1m31.865s, as McLaren showed improved pace after reliability issues in China.

Ferrari’s Leclerc posted a 1m31.978s to take fifth, with Lewis Hamilton close behind on a 1m32.041s. Both were within three tenths of Russell but lacked the outright pace to challenge Mercedes at the front.

Max Verstappen was seventh for Red Bull with a 1m32.214s, while Liam Lawson impressed in eighth on a 1m32.301s for Racing Bulls in a special Japanese-themed livery. Haas placed Esteban Ocon ninth with a 1m32.447s, just ahead of rookie Arvid Lindblad, who completed the top ten with a 1m32.509s.

Further down the order, Alex Albon experienced a difficult session for Williams. After running wide at Degner and hitting the barriers, he later made contact with Cadillac’s Sergio Perez at the chicane. Despite the incidents, Albon still recorded a 1m33.882s.

At Aston Martin, reserve driver Jak Crawford made his first FP1 appearance of the year in place of Fernando Alonso, completing limited running and finishing last with a 1m36.112s. Lance Stroll ended 21st on a 1m35.266s as the team focused on managing ongoing power unit concerns.

The session ran largely uninterrupted, allowing teams to gather valuable data ahead of qualifying at one of the calendar’s most demanding circuits.