đź“· BBC
Top 10 Results
Here’s how the top 10 drivers finished in FP1:
Lando Norris (McLaren) – 1:28.549
George Russell (Mercedes) – +0.163 seconds
Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) – +0.302 seconds
Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) – +0.451 seconds
Max Verstappen (Red Bull) – +0.512 seconds
Yuki Tsunoda (Red Bull) – +0.623 seconds
Oscar Piastri (McLaren) – +0.745 seconds
Sergio Perez (Red Bull) – +0.891 seconds
Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) – +0.923 seconds
Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – +1.012 seconds
McLaren looked strong from the start. Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri (who finished seventh) set fast times early on. Mercedes and Ferrari were close behind, showing they’re in the fight too. Red Bull didn’t top the times, but Verstappen and Tsunoda still looked solid. It’s too early to say who’s the favorite,
đź“· Yahoo Sports
Tsunoda impressive first session
One of the biggest stories from Free Practice 1 (FP1) at the Japanese Grand Prix was Yuki Tsunoda’s performance. The 24-year-old Japanese driver, born in Kanagawa, Japan, drove his first official session for Red Bull at his home track, the Suzuka Circuit. He was only 0.111 seconds behind his teammate, Max Verstappen, who came in fifth.
There was one small hiccup when Tsunoda ran wide at Turn 9, a fast corner called “Degner 2.” His car went slightly off the track into the gravel, but he kept control and got back on without losing much time. It was a tiny mistake, and he didn’t let it slow him down. After that, he kept pushing and improved his lap times, showing confidence in the car.
Tsunoda felt the love too. After FP1, he spoke to reporters and said, “It’s incredible to drive for Red Bull here at Suzuka. The fans give me so much energy. I want to keep pushing for them.” He smiled big, clearly happy with how the day went.
đź“· Motorsport week
McLaren’s Performance in FP1
Lando Norris set the fastest lap of the session at 1 minute and 28.549 seconds, putting McLaren at the top of the leaderboard.
McLaren’s speed in FP1 suggests their car is working well on Suzuka’s challenging layout. The track has a mix of high-speed corners, like “130R,” and slower, twisty sections, like the “Hairpin.” Norris and Piastri were quick in both, which means the car has good balance and grip.
Even though Norris was fastest, he wasn’t completely happy after FP1. Over the team radio and in comments to reporters afterward, he complained about “graining.”
Norris noticed this issue during his longer runs on the soft tires. He said, “The pace is good, but the graining is a bit of a worry. It’s making the car slide more than I’d like.” Norris stayed positive despite the issue. He said, “P1 is nice, but it’s just practice. We’ve got some things to sort out with the tires, and then we’ll be in good shape.” Piastri agreed, adding, “The car feels strong, but we need to keep improving.”