McLaren's Oscar Piastri led Friday practice in Suzuka, but Mercedes' strong long-run pace confirms their early 2026 strength. The bigger story is how the new power unit regulations are forcing drivers to lift and harvest energy through Suzuka's legendary 130R corner, altering the track's character and shocking veteran commentator Ralf Schumacher.
Max Verstappen and Red Bull endured a dismal Friday at the Japanese GP, with the champion admitting to "big problems" after struggling for pace and balance. He finished 10th in practice, over 1.3 seconds off the lead, casting serious doubt on his weekend prospects and highlighting the team's ongoing struggles in F1's new era.
McLaren enjoyed a morale-boosting FP2 at the Japanese GP with Oscar Piastri fastest, but the team immediately downplayed the result, stating the true 2026 pecking order with Mercedes and Ferrari on top remains unchanged. The Woking squad expects its practice pace to be an outlier as the competitive weekend sessions begin.
Ferrari chairman John Elkann openly addressed the team's disappointing 2025 Formula 1 season, calling it a failure to meet ambitions, but highlighted a core philosophy of learning from mistakes. This mindset seems pivotal as Ferrari has quickly rebounded in 2026, establishing itself as the nearest competitor to Mercedes with both drivers on the podium already.
Ferrari will not use its novel 'Macarena' rotating rear wing in Japan, adhering to a cost-cap-driven strategy of saving major upgrades for the European season. The team will use the April break to fast-track developments, with weight reduction being the top priority before Miami.
A global fuel crisis stemming from Middle East conflict threatens motorsport's core operations, impacting far more than just on-track running costs. The industry now confronts severe challenges in logistics, event economics, and team finances, pushing governing bodies to urgently evaluate contingency plans and accelerate the shift toward sustainable fuels.
F1 analyst James Hinchcliffe says Carlos Sainz's career is at a crossroads following his switch to Williams. The Spaniard must choose between embracing the long-term project to help rebuild the team or dwelling on the disappointment of leaving Ferrari, with his response defining his legacy.
Red Bull F1 boss Laurent Mekies admits his team is "very far" from the front after a disastrous Friday at the Japanese GP, with car balance issues leaving Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar over 1.3 seconds off the pace. Mekies suggests the problems are fundamental and not easily fixed, casting doubt on the team's competitiveness for the rest of the weekend.
F1 stewards investigated three separate incidents from Japanese GP FP1 involving Hamilton, Verstappen, Albon, Perez, Sainz, and Lawson but took no further action in any case, citing lack of clear fault or danger after reviewing driver accounts and evidence.
Oscar Piastri set the fastest time in Friday practice for the Japanese GP, leading a McLaren 1-2 ahead of the Mercedes duo. The session was marked by significant struggles for Max Verstappen's Red Bull, which could upset the usual competitive order for the rest of the weekend at Suzuka.
Aston Martin discovered Honda's 2026 F1 power unit project was far from ready only in late 2025, long after their partnership was announced. Honda cites a 'misunderstanding,' as post-Red Bull era restructuring and engineer rotation led to delays. The team now races to fix reliability issues that didn't appear in simulations.
Lewis Hamilton revealed Ferrari is struggling with straight-line speed and energy deployment, citing a four-tenths deficit to McLaren on the main straight in Barcelona after an FP2 session where he felt uncomfortable. He identified deployment optimization and setup work as key areas for immediate improvement.
