Image: from Sofia Siriatou X @sophia_wrc
By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies
SUZUKA, Japan – Championship leader George Russell continued Mercedes’ early-season charge on Friday, clocking the fastest time in the opening free practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix. Under clear skies at the formidable Suzuka Circuit, the Briton narrowly outpaced teammate Kimi Antonelli to secure a dominant 1-2 for the Silver Arrows.
Russell’s benchmark lap of 1m31.666s, set on the soft-compound Pirelli tires, was just 0.026s quicker than Antonelli. The result underscores the authority Mercedes has established under the 2026 regulations, as the team seeks its third consecutive victory of the season.
The session saw a persistent intra-team battle between the Mercedes duo. Antonelli, fresh from a breakthrough victory in Shanghai, briefly held the top spot with a 1m31.692s. However, Russell responded in the closing stages to reclaim P1, despite a minor excursion at the Spoon Curve earlier in the hour.
McLaren’s Lando Norris finished third, 0.132s adrift of Russell, signaling a recovery for the Woking-based squad after a disastrous double retirement in China. His teammate Oscar Piastri followed in fourth, while the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton settled for fifth and sixth, respectively.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen struggled to match the front-runners’ pace, finishing seventh. The Red Bull driver ended the session 0.745s behind Russell, despite his RB22 being fitted with a significant new upgrade package intended to close the gap to the leaders.
The hour was not without incident. Williams’ Alex Albon suffered a snap of oversteer at the Degner curves, sliding through the gravel and clipping the barriers. Albon was later involved in a late-session collision with Sergio Perez at the final chicane, resulting in front-wing damage for the Williams. Perez had also drawn the ire of Russell earlier in the session for appearing to impede the Mercedes driver on a flying lap.
Further down the order, RB’s Liam Lawson impressed in eighth with a special Japanese-themed livery, while rookie Arvid Lindblad cracked the top ten for Red Bull’s sister team. Conversely, Aston Martin endured a difficult morning; reserve driver Jak Crawford, filling in for Fernando Alonso, finished at the bottom of the timesheets as the team continued to struggle with its Honda power unit’s reliability.
As the paddock prepares for the weekend, the early signs suggest the fight for pole position will once again be a private affair between the two Mercedes teammates, though the narrow margins to McLaren and Ferrari hint at a closely contested qualifying session.
1) George Russell (Mercedes), 1’31.666
2) Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), 1’31.692
3) Lando Norris (McLaren/Mercedes), 1’31.798
4) Oscar Piastri (McLaren/Mercedes), 1’31.865
5) Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 1’31.955
6) Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari), 1’32.040
7) Max Verstappen (Red Bull/Red Bull Ford), 1’32.457
8) Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford), 1’32.529
9) Esteban Ocon (Haas/Ferrari), 1’32.601
10) Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford), 1’32.665
11) Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi), 1’32.759
12) Nico Hülkenberg (Audi), 1’32.798
13) Isack Hadjar (Red Bull/Red Bull Ford), 1’32.803
14) Oliver Bearman (Haas/Ferrari), 1’32.900
15) Pierre Gasly (Alpine/Mercedes), 1’32.978
16) Franco Colapinto (Alpine/Mercedes), 1’33.361
17) Carlos Sainz (Williams/Mercedes), 1’33.383
18) Alexander Albon (Williams/Mercedes), 1’33.697
19) Sergio Pérez (Cadillac/Ferrari), 1’34.221
20) Valtteri Bottas (Cadillac/Ferrari), 1’34.490
21) Lance Stroll (Aston Martin/Honda), 1’35.294
22) Jak Crawford (Aston Martin/Honda), 1’36.362