Piastri leads second Suzuka practice as Mercedes-powered cars show dominance

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri topped the timesheets in a dramatically quicker second practice session at the Japanese Grand Prix, outpacing the Mercedes duo of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell as lap times tumbled around Suzuka.

Piastri’s late flyer put McLaren at the head of the field for the first time this weekend, his 0.092s advantage over Antonelli signalling a strong response from the team after its double DNS disaster in Shanghai. Early championship leader Russell, who headed a Mercedes one‑two in FP1, finished third in FP2, 0.205s off Piastri’s benchmark.

World champion Lando Norris endured a troubled session. A hydraulics leak sidelined him for nearly half of FP2, limiting his running on the soft tyres and leaving him 0.516s behind Piastri.

More significantly, Norris has lost one of his three permitted batteries for the 2026 season — a blow to his title defence that adds pressure at a critical stage of the campaign.

Despite the issues, McLaren’s pace looked encouraging, with Piastri’s speed offering reassurance after the team’s recent misfortunes.

Ferrari once again found itself adrift of the frontrunners. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton ended the session fifth and sixth, but both were well off the ultimate pace — Leclerc 0.713s down, Hamilton a further tenth behind.

Mercedes, meanwhile, continued to look competitive under Suzuka’s flowing demands. Antonelli’s confidence remains high after his maiden F1 victory in China, and Russell described Suzuka as a “good test” of the new regulations following what he called a “super boring” 2025 race.

Nico Hülkenberg delivered another strong showing for Audi, placing seventh ahead of Alex Albon’s Williams. Haas rookie Ollie Bearman continued his solid adaptation to F1 machinery, finishing inside the top ten.

It was another subdued session for Max Verstappen, who could only manage 10th place, a sizeable 1.376s off Piastri. Red Bull has brought a substantial aerodynamic upgrade — including new sidepods, floor, and engine cover — but the four‑time world champion has yet to unlock its potential. Isack Hadjar, in the second Red Bull, ended the session 15th.

Cadillac and Aston Martin once again found themselves near the bottom of the order, continuing a difficult start to the weekend. Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad suffered gearbox issues that confined him to the pit wall for most of FP2.