McLaren's Lando Norris is set to miss final practice at the Japanese GP due to an ERS pack failure requiring replacement. While a setback for setup work, the team is confident he will be ready for qualifying after showing strong pace on Friday alongside teammate Oscar Piastri.
Lando Norris's final practice session at the Japanese GP was disrupted by a battery issue, similar to a problem in China. McLaren CEO Zak Brown confirmed the team and engine supplier Mercedes HPP were working on a fix, but valuable setup time was lost at the critical Suzuka circuit.
McLaren is scrambling to fix an ERS problem on Lando Norris's car, likely forcing him to miss the important FP3 session at Suzuka. This setback adds to the driver's troubled weekend and follows a power unit issue that caused a DNS in China.
Kimi Antonelli's breakthrough win for Mercedes has made him a national hero in Italy, creating a major problem for Ferrari. The Scuderia, which missed the chance to sign the Italian prodigy, now watches as its historic role as the nation's team is challenged by a rival's star, risking a shift in the allegiance of future fans.
For the Japanese GP, F1 has cut the energy drivers can harvest in qualifying by 1MJ, targeting 'super clipping.' This forces teams to strategically deploy their limited energy on Suzuka's straights, adding a complex layer to an already demanding, low-energy circuit where throttle management in fast corners becomes key.
Carlos Sainz was left shocked by his Williams car's severe lack of pace on high-fuel runs during Japanese GP practice, despite the team making clear progress in one-lap performance. He called for urgent analysis into the discrepancy, which he described as potentially worse than the issues faced in Shanghai.
Red Bull's dramatic performance drop has continued in Japan, with Max Verstappen struggling for pace and grip. The team admits it doesn't fully understand the car's unpredictable behavior, marking a stark contrast to their recent dominant years.
Valtteri Bottas reported his first problem-free day with the Cadillac F1 team at the Japanese GP, a key milestone after early-season troubles. He believes the team has closed the gap to rivals, now running ahead of Aston Martin but still behind Williams, marking tangible progress for the new outfit.
Aston Martin reserve driver Jak Crawford impressed in his F1 practice debut at Suzuka, quickly getting up to speed at a new circuit. The American, substituting for Fernando Alonso, highlighted how his simulator work directly translated to the track, providing valuable data for the team.
F1's 2026 power units have revolutionized the approach to Suzuka's famous first sector. Drivers now rely almost entirely on the hybrid system's MGU-K for braking and energy recovery, creating a 'one-pedal' driving style that has altered cornering speeds and redefined the technical challenge of the iconic Esses.
Red Bull's Laurent Mekies promises a swift fix for the team's 'fundamental' car issues after Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar endured a frustrating Friday in Japan, with the RB22 lagging far behind its rivals and still not fully understood by its engineers.
Aston Martin reserve driver Jak Crawford confirmed the AMR26's vibration problems are challenging for drivers and reliability, but sees improvement. His Suzuka FP1 run was key for simulator correlation, highlighting the team's technical focus early in the 2026 season.
