Ferrari Acknowledge 'Plenty to Do' After McLaren Shows Strong Pace in Japanese GP Practice

Ferrari faces a significant challenge to match McLaren's one-lap speed after the opening day of practice at the Japanese Grand Prix. While the Scuderia's session was described as "linear" by Sporting Director Diego Ioverno, McLaren's Oscar Piastri topped the timesheets in FP2, and teammate Lando Norris also showed strong pace. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished fifth, with new signing Lewis Hamilton a tenth behind in sixth, admitting he still feels "uncomfortable" in the car.

Why it matters:

For Ferrari, closing the qualifying gap to a resurgent McLaren is critical for securing strong grid positions at a high-speed, overtaking-difficult circuit like Suzuka. For Lewis Hamilton, his ongoing adaptation struggles highlight the work needed to fully integrate into the team and extract maximum performance from the SF-24, a process that is taking longer than some may have anticipated.

The details:

• McLaren demonstrated formidable single-lap pace, with Oscar Piastri setting the fastest time in FP2. The team has shown this strength in the first two races of the season, confirming their status as a major threat in qualifying trim.
• Ferrari's Diego Ioverno acknowledged the challenge, stating the team has "plenty to do" and that the performance picture was "more or less" what they expected. He noted both Leclerc and Hamilton were struggling for confidence and pace.
• A separate but significant issue emerged from telemetry data, revealing the dramatic impact of 'super-clipping'—where drivers are forced to lift off the throttle to stay within track limits. An average speed loss of 53.4 kph was recorded between the famous 130R corner and the final chicane, with some drivers like Alpine's Franco Colapinto losing up to 70 kph.

What's next:

Ferrari's engineers face a dual task overnight: finding setup improvements to close the gap to McLaren in qualifying and helping Hamilton find a more comfortable balance in the car. The super-clipping issue also adds a strategic layer, as managing track limits without sacrificing huge amounts of time will be a key skill in qualifying and the race. Saturday's final practice and qualifying will reveal if Ferrari can respond to McLaren's early weekend statement.