Russell leads Mercedes 1-2 in Suzuka FP1 as rivals falter

George Russell set the fastest time in the first practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix, leading a Mercedes one-two with rookie teammate Kimi Antonelli close behind. The session highlighted Mercedes' strong early pace in the 2026 season, while rivals Ferrari and Red Bull faced challenges, with Max Verstappen finishing a distant seventh and McLaren's Lando Norris overcoming early technical issues to claim third.

Why it matters:

A dominant one-two in the first representative running at a demanding circuit like Suzuka sends a powerful message about Mercedes' early-season form. With new regulations in play for 2026, establishing a performance baseline and car reliability at a high-speed, technical track is crucial for understanding the true competitive order. The significant gap to last year's champions at Red Bull suggests the early pecking order may be shifting.

The details:

• Russell's best lap of 1:31.666 was just 0.026 seconds faster than Antonelli, showcasing impressive pace from the Silver Arrows duo.
• The session was characterized by constant changes at the top of the timesheets, with Charles Leclerc, Russell, and Antonelli exchanging the lead multiple times in the early running.
• McLaren's mixed fortunes: Lando Norris spent much of the first half of the session in the garage with an apparent technical issue after completing only one lap. He returned to the track to set the third-fastest time, while teammate Oscar Piastri finished fourth.
• Red Bull off the pace: Reigning champion Max Verstappen could only manage seventh, nearly eight-tenths of a second off Russell's pace. Teammate Liam Lawson was eighth.
• On-track incidents: The session featured several moments, including Norris locking up, Alex Albon going off track, and contact between Sergio Perez and Albon. Perez also impeded Russell, drawing the ire of the Mercedes driver.
• The final phase of the session focused on long-run simulations on harder tire compounds, giving teams critical data on race pace.

What's next:

The result sets the stage for a fascinating weekend. Mercedes will look to confirm its single-lap speed over longer runs and in qualifying trim. All eyes will be on Red Bull to understand if their significant deficit was due to a different run program or a genuine lack of pace. Ferrari and McLaren showed flashes of speed and will aim to close the gap. Further practice sessions will reveal whether Mercedes' Friday dominance is a true indicator of performance or merely a strong start in the evolving 2026 landscape.