Lando Norris set the fastest time in the first Free Practice, while Oscar Piastri topped FP2, a session marked by four red flags.
Action at the Suzuka Circuit is underway, with all 20 drivers hitting the track to prepare for the Japanese Grand Prix (GP) during Free Practice sessions. McLaren stood out, securing the best times in both opening sessions on Japanese soil.
Norris, the Fastest in FP1
In the first Free Practice, McLaren’s Australian GP winner, Lando Norris, shined with a time of 1:28.549 over 24 laps. Behind him, George Russell and Charles Leclerc rounded out the top three fastest in the opening session at Suzuka.
Lando Norris sets the fastest time in FP1 👏
The full classification from first practice 👇#F1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/RH1ud0qNxP
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 4, 2025
A key highlight of FP1 was Yuki Tsunoda’s performance in the RB21, setting the sixth-fastest time, just behind his teammate Max Verstappen. The local driver looked confident as he kicked off his first GP at the helm of Red Bull, showing better results than Liam Lawson.
Piastri Dominates a Red Flag-Filled FP2
FP2 was disrupted four times by red flags, leading to a total session duration of approximately 1 hour and 10 minutes, with cars spending a significant time in the garages.
The first red flag waved following a heavy crash involving Jack Doohan, who lost control at Turn 1 and hit the barrier. His Alpine suffered severe damage, with debris scattered across the track. Fortunately, the Australian driver escaped without serious injuries.
Shortly after, Fernando Alonso encountered issues, leaving his Aston Martin stranded in the Turn 8 gravel trap, triggering another red flag.
Finally, two separate fire incidents forced the marshals to display the third and fourth red flags, as grass fires disrupted the session at different moments.
Despite all these interruptions, Oscar Piastri managed to clock a 1:28.114 in just 13 laps. Norris secured a McLaren 1-2 in FP2, while Isack Hadjar surprised with the third-fastest time.
Cover photo: X (@F1)
