Piastri tops Suzuka
Oscar Piastri led Friday running at Suzuka by topping FP2 — he set the fastest time in second practice as McLaren showed strong pace (espn.com). Mercedes paced FP1 with George Russell fastest earlier, and qualifying was scheduled for today, March 28, setting the grid for Sunday’s race (gpfans.com) (youtube.com).
Recorded lap data show Piastri posted a 1:30.133 on red‑marked soft tyres 23 minutes into FP2, finishing 0.092 seconds ahead of Kimi Antonelli and 0.205 seconds clear of George Russell. (motorsport.com) The FP2 classification placed Piastri, Antonelli, Russell, Norris, Leclerc, Hamilton, Hulkenberg, Albon, Bearman and Verstappen in the top 10, with Verstappen 1.376s off the pace and midfield gaps under tight compression. (total-motorsport.com) In FP1 Mercedes ran 1‑2 as Russell edged team‑mate Antonelli by 0.026s, Russell’s fastest lap reading 1:31.666 after an earlier 1:32.429 reference on hard tyres. (grandprix.com) McLaren’s Lando Norris was delayed in FP2 by a hydraulic issue and completed just 17 timed laps in the session, while Gabriel Bortoleto, Arvid Lindblad and Sergio Pérez all lost running to reliability or garage delays. (formulaonehistory.com) Formula 1’s official channel published an onboard clip of Piastri’s 1:30.133 lap, giving teams immediate telemetry reference for corner exit and straight‑line speed at Suzuka. (formula1.com) Aston Martin confirmed third‑driver Jak Crawford took Fernando Alonso’s AMR26 in FP1 at Suzuka, marking Crawford’s FP1 outing while Alonso sat out the opening practice. (formula1.com)
