McLaren
Norris lost running in FP1 due to aero-rake work and in FP2 with a hydraulic leak, limiting his long-run laps; he finished FP1 P3 (1:31.798) and FP2 P4 (1:30.649) and warned the team is “two or three steps behind” without meaningful consecutive laps. Piastri topped FP2 (P1, 1:30.133) after solid running and called it a “decent day” with useful data, while Senior Director Randy Singh praised the recovery from issues but cautioned the pecking order hasn’t fundamentally changed.
Mercedes
Russell led FP1 (P1, 1:31.666) with Antonelli close (FP1 P2, 1:31.692). Both completed programmes and gathered long-run data; Russell noted good speed in the Esses and areas to improve on the single lap, while Antonelli highlighted tyre and balance challenges with changeable wind. Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin described a straightforward day and useful tyre data across compounds.
Ferrari
Leclerc and Hamilton were competitive early, often closest to Mercedes until McLaren’s late soft runs. Leclerc was FP1 P5 (1:31.955) / FP2 P5 (1:30.846) and said race pace looks reasonable but qualifying needs work. Hamilton (FP1 P6, 1:32.040; FP2 P6, 1:30.980) said the car lacked a bit of pace and balance, with deployment and setup to address overnight.
Audi
A mixed day: Hulkenberg completed full programmes and was P12 in FP1 (1:32.798) but P7 in FP2 (1:31.441), pleased with a decent baseline. Bortoleto edged Hulkenberg in FP1 but lost most of FP2 to a garage stop for a precautionary gearbox change, finishing FP2 P16 (1:31.933); he thanked the team for the turnaround and will rely on teammate data overnight.
Williams
Albon had an eventful day—gravel, barrier clips, a contact with Perez, a pit-release incident and traffic on hot laps—but still posted FP2 P8 (1:31.496) after FP1 P18 (1:33.697). He called it a positive Friday and felt the car improved. Sainz was quieter, FP1 P17 (1:33.383) and FP2 P13 (1:31.608), noting decent short-run pace but weaker high-fuel race pace; the engineering team reported productive setup gains.
Haas
Ocon was Haas’s best in FP1 (P9, 1:32.601) but Bearman edged him in FP2 by 0.034s, Bearman FP2 P9 (1:31.498). Both drivers see a tight intra-team fight and a midfield battle for Q3; Team Principal Ayao Komatsu said the day yielded good data on energy deployment and cornering performance.
Red Bull
Verstappen struggled with balance and wobble, scraping into FP2’s top 10 (FP1 P7, 1:32.457; FP2 P10, 1:31.509) and said sector one and medium/high-speed issues need understanding. Hadjar complained of pull in FP1 and was P15 in FP2 (1:31.759), finding the car uncomfortable. Chief Engineer Paul Monaghan confirmed the upgrades arrived and work is required to fix balance and grip ahead of qualifying.
Racing Bulls (Visa Cash App Racing Bulls)
Both cars looked strong in FP1; Lawson spent time in the top 10 and finished FP2 P12 (1:31.590). Rookie Lindblad impressed with FP1 P10 (1:32.665) despite never having driven Suzuka before but suffered a gearbox failure that left him with only an out-lap in FP2 and no time (P22). Team Principal Alan Permane confirmed a gearbox replacement and stressed the midfield is extremely tight.
Alpine
Colapinto lost early running to a radio issue and later received a warning for weaving on the back straight after blocking Verstappen; Gasly had to take avoiding action in the pit lane after Albon’s release. Gasly (FP2 P14, 1:31.734) said balance improved but more work is needed; Colapinto (FP2 P17, 1:32.438) called it a tricky day but valuable experience at Suzuka.
Cadillac
Perez suffered contact with Albon in FP1 and lost further time after floor repairs, finishing FP2 down the order (FP1 P19, 1:34.221; FP2 P20, 1:33.689). Bottas had a trouble-free day relative to his teammate (FP1 P20, 1:34.490; FP2 P18, 1:32.615) and felt upgrades gave added load and stability. Executive Engineer Pat Symonds said small upgrades are settling in and the team aims to climb the midfield.
Aston Martin
Crawford filled in for Alonso in FP1, running aero rakes for development; Alonso returned for FP2 and used the soft tyre throughout. Stroll (FP2 P21, 1:33.951) and Alonso (FP2 P19, 1:33.596) completed programmes with a focus on high-speed corner improvements. Crawford, on his Suzuka debut, praised simulator prep and gathering data for the AMR26.
Pirelli
Chief Engineer Simone Berra noted recent resurfacing of Suzuka’s final sectors produced a smoother, grippier surface that kept tyre degradation low and limited graining so far. All three compounds should enable near-certain one-stop race strategies; the Soft remains least tested in long runs. Berra highlighted McLaren as the only team not to try the Hard tyre and suggested teams may preserve C1s for Sunday or use Hards for a consistent opening stint.
Overall impression
Friday at Suzuka produced few reliability gremlins for some teams but mechanical or tyre issues curtailed crucial running for others. McLaren and Mercedes showed strong single-lap pace, Ferrari remained close but behind McLaren, and the midfield is exceptionally tight—small margins could reshuffle positions come Qualifying. Teams aim to refine balance, energy deployment and single-lap performance overnight ahead of Saturday’s sessions.