F1 Japanese GP 2026 Friday Practice - Key Takeaways

Formula 1 has arrived at the Suzuka Circuit for its third round of the season - the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix.

The Suzuka Circuit remains one of the most challenging and popular tracks in Formula 1, with its high-downforce 5.807-kilometre layout featuring 18 corners.

Drivers enjoy its fast-flowing S Curves, the sharp Degner turns, the slow hairpin, and the high-speed 130R left-hander that demands courage and perfect car balance. Smooth driving and strong mechanical grip are crucial here.

Suzuka has often played a big role in deciding world championships in the past.

2026 Japanese Grand Prix Tyre Allocation

For this weekend, Pirelli has brought the three hardest tyre compounds in their range - the C1 (hard), C2 (medium), and the C3 (soft). Teams will have only two sets of hard, three sets of medium, and eight sets of soft tyres.

The intermediate (green-walled) and full-wet (blue-walled) tyres are unlikely to be used as there is no rain expected all weekend.

Good tyre management will be key for qualifying and the 53-lap race on Sunday.

Also Read - F1 Japanese GP 2026 - Current Standings, India Timings, Where To Watch?
 

FP1: Mercedes Shows Early Strength

Mercedes started the day strongly in the first free practice session, with championship leader George Russell setting the fastest time (1:31:666), just ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli.

After a disastrous weekend in China, McLaren showed promising signs of much better form. Lando Norris (3rd) and Oscar Piastri (4th) finished close behind the Mercedes cars and looked steady on the harder compounds.

Ferrari drivers Charles Leclerc (5th) and Lewis Hamilton (6th) stayed competitive but faced some issues with tyre warm-up on the C1 and C2 tyres.

Red Bull struggled, with Max Verstappen ending seventh and Isack Hadjar in 13th.

In the midfield, the Racing Bulls drivers showed decent pace, while Haas and Audi also featured in the mix. There were a few incidents, including Williams' Alex Albon (18th) clipping the barriers and later bumping into Cadillac driver Sergio Perez (19th).

FP2: McLaren Finds Rhythm, Mercedes Close Behind

Piastri topped the timesheets in the second practice (1:30:133) by a small margin over Antonelli, with Russell in third. Norris finished fourth but missed the first 20 minutes of the session due to technical issues.

Ferrari had mixed results again. Leclerc took fifth, but the team looked a bit short on single-lap pace, while Hamilton in sixth, reported a lack of confidence in the car.

Red Bull continued to lag behind, with Verstappen just about scraping into the top 10, stating “poor balance and grip.”

The midfield looked tight and interesting as usual. Haas performed well overall, with Oliver Bearman (9th) and Esteban Ocon (11th) showing strong pace. Alex Albon had a much better session, taking eighth, with his teammate Carlos Sainz in 13th.

Towards the back, Alpine, Cadillac, and Aston Martin faced challenges, being off the pace set by the midfield teams.

Overall, Friday practice suggests Mercedes may still be the team to beat going into Saturday, with McLaren looking strong to join the party. Ferrari cannot be counted out either, but Red Bull needs to find more performance overnight.

Teams have time until FP3 tomorrow to find their best setups heading into qualifying later in the day.

Image Source: Formula 1, McLaren