George Russell supported the FIA's move to reduce energy deployment for 2026 but suggested an even lower limit could improve racing by reducing extreme speed 'clipping'. He also cautioned that Mercedes' strong early-season form could be challenged as rivals like Red Bull, McLaren, and Ferrari bring upgrades.
Fernando Alonso announced at the Japanese GP that he and partner Melissa Jiménez welcomed their first child together about a week ago. The Aston Martin driver, who delayed his arrival in Suzuka for the birth, confirmed both mother and baby are doing well before returning to his Formula 1 duties.
Lewis Hamilton voiced a stark lack of confidence in his Ferrari during Friday practice at Suzuka, struggling with car balance and drawing comparisons to past problems. While both Ferrari drivers faced difficulties, the team's long-run pace offered a more hopeful sign for their race-day potential.
Lewis Hamilton has labeled F1's 'super-clipping' as "not great" after footage of Max Verstappen's car showed a 50 kph speed loss from the energy recovery process. The issue, which forces drivers to 'coast' into corners, highlights the tension between hybrid system management and driver skill, prompting a regulatory tweak for the Japanese GP weekend.
Lewis Hamilton is searching for solutions after a tough Friday with Ferrari at Suzuka, where oversteer issues left him well off McLaren's pace. While he sees a 'north star' for improvement, McLaren's Oscar Piastri led the timesheets as Red Bull's struggles continued with Max Verstappen over a second adrift. The session hinted at a reshuffled competitive order heading into qualifying.
Fernando Alonso confirmed the birth of his first child, arriving late to the Japanese GP after the happy event. The Aston Martin driver shared his relief and joy, calling it a "very special moment," before immediately refocusing on his on-track duties for the remainder of the weekend in Suzuka.
Friday practice for the Japanese GP revealed a continuation of Red Bull's 2026 struggles, with Max Verstappen outside the top ten. McLaren showed promising speed, though hampered by a reliability issue for Lando Norris, while Ferrari failed to extract performance from the soft tire. A tightly packed midfield faces its own reliability battles ahead of qualifying.
McLaren emerged as a potential new rival to Mercedes during Japanese GP practice, with Oscar Piastri topping FP2. Analysts are encouraged by their pace, though Lando Norris faced setbacks, and the true test of their challenge will come in qualifying.
Max Verstappen endured a frustrating Friday at the Japanese GP, describing his Red Bull as "bleeding a lot of lap time" due to extreme and shifting balance problems. The car swung from severe understeer to oversteer, leaving the team puzzled and the driver 1.3 seconds off the pace. With no easy fix in sight, Red Bull faces a major challenge to get back in contention for the rest of the weekend.
Max Verstappen admits Red Bull has "big problems" with its RB22 after a troubled Friday at the Japanese GP, where he struggled for balance and finished well off the pace of rivals from McLaren and Mercedes.
Ferrari chairman John Elkann admitted the team's 2025 F1 season fell short of goals but stressed the importance of learning from setbacks. The team has rebounded strongly in 2026, currently running second and posing the only real threat to Mercedes, with Lewis Hamilton now fully integrated and scoring podiums.
Oscar Piastri put McLaren on top in second practice at Suzuka, breaking Mercedes' early stronghold. The Australian's fastest lap edged out Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, while teammate Lando Norris recovered from a hydraulic issue to finish fourth. The session hinted at a more competitive fight than expected, with Red Bull struggling outside the top ten.
