Japanese GP: Russell leads Mercedes 1-2 in Suzuka first practice

George Russell continued his commanding start to the 2026 season by topping first practice for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, narrowly edging Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli in a closely fought session.

The championship leader’s benchmark lap of 1m31.666s was enough to deny Antonelli by just 0.026s, underlining that Mercedes’ early-season dominance remains firmly intact.

Under clear skies at the iconic Suzuka Circuit, Russell wasted little time asserting control. Running on hard tyres in the opening stages, he posted a 1m32.429s to lead the field ahead of Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc.

• Japanese Grand Prix Free Practice 1 - Results

Once the switch to soft tyres came, the Silver Arrows tightened their grip. Russell improved to a 1m31.755s, only for Antonelli – fresh from his breakthrough win in Shanghai—to respond with a 1m31.692s and briefly take over at the top.

But Russell wasn’t done. After a wide moment at Spoon Curve, the Briton regrouped and delivered the session’s decisive blow, reclaiming P1 with a 1m31.666s that would stand unbeaten.

McLaren and Ferrari close behind

Reigning world champion Lando Norris endured a slow start, his McLaren fitted with a rake for aerodynamic testing during the early running. Once back on a standard program, Norris climbed to third, 0.132s off Russell’s pace.

Team-mate Piastri backed up the recovery with fourth, just under two tenths adrift, offering encouragement after McLaren’s double non-start in China.

Ferrari followed closely, with Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton taking fifth and sixth respectively for Scuderia Ferrari, both around three tenths down on Mercedes. Max Verstappen slotted into seventh for Red Bull Racing.

Midfield highlights and on-track drama

Liam Lawson impressed in eighth for Racing Bulls, running a special white and cherry-red livery, ahead of Esteban Ocon and rookie Arvid Lindblad, who completed the top 10.

The session was largely incident-free, but Alex Albon provided a moment of concern for Williams Racing. The Anglo-Thai driver ran wide at Degner after a snap of oversteer, sliding through the gravel and making contact with the barriers.

Although he later returned to the track, Albon’s troubles weren’t over. A miscommunication at the chicane led to contact with Sergio Perez, leaving the Williams with front wing damage. Perez had earlier frustrated Russell after appearing to impede the Mercedes driver.

Aston Martin struggles continue

It was a another difficult outing for Aston Martin, as reserve driver Jak Crawford made his first FP1 appearance of the year in place of Fernando Alonso.

Crawford completed just 11 laps and finished at the bottom of the timesheets, while Lance Stroll was 21st and over 3.5 seconds off the pace. The team continues to wrestle with performance and reliability concerns tied to its Honda power unit.

For now, though, the spotlight remains firmly on Mercedes. With Russell and Antonelli once again locking out the top two positions, the message from Suzuka’s opening session was clear: the Silver Arrows are still the team to beat.

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