Event

Japanese Grand Prix Practice 1


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Date
Fri 27th March 2026 (UTC)
Fri 27th March 2026 (Local)

Timestamp
2026-03-27T02:30:00

Time
timezone flag 02:30:00 UTC (11:30:00 Local)

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League
Formula 1

Season
2026

Round
3

Status
Match Finished

Location
venue thumbnailSuzuka International Racing Course





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Event Statistics


Description search icon English Flag
The 2026 Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka International Racing Course opened with a session focused on data collection and adapting to the "high-speed" technical demands of the figure-eight layout. The primary challenge for the 22-car field was mastering the iconic "S" Curves and the Degner sections under the new 2026 regulations, which have significantly altered energy harvesting and deployment strategies. For the teams, the objective was to evaluate aero rakes and "flow-vis" paint in preparation for the upcoming flyaway rounds.

Strategically, the opening hour was a tale of two halves. The objective for the first 30 minutes was baseline testing on the hard compound tires, with Ferrari and Mercedes exchanging early benchmark times. As the session progressed, the tactical priority shifted to soft-tire qualifying simulations. With the 2026 power units facing "super clipping" issues on Suzuka's long straights, the goal for drivers like Max Verstappen and Lando Norris was to find a balance between raw pace and efficient battery usage before the track temperatures peaked.
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Reports


Result List
Transparent Spacer01 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon George Russell1:31.666
Transparent Spacer02 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Andrea Kimi Antonelli+0.026s
Transparent Spacer03 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Lando Norris+0.132s
Transparent Spacer04 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Oscar Piastri+0.199s
Transparent Spacer05 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Charles Leclerc+0.289s
Transparent Spacer06 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Lewis Hamilton+0.374s
Transparent Spacer07 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Max Verstappen+0.791s
Transparent Spacer08 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Liam Lawson+0.863s
Transparent Spacer09 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Esteban Ocon+0.935s
Transparent Spacer10 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Arvid Lindblad+0.999s
Transparent Spacer11 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Gabriel Bortoleto+1.093s
Transparent Spacer12 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Nico Hulkenberg+1.132s
Transparent Spacer13 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Isack Hadjar+1.137s
Transparent Spacer14 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Oliver Bearman+1.234s
Transparent Spacer15 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Pierre Gasly+1.312s
Transparent Spacer16 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Franco Colapinto+1.695s
Transparent Spacer17 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Carlos Sainz Jr+1.717s
Transparent Spacer18 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Alexander Albon+2.031s
Transparent Spacer19 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Sergio Perez+2.555s
Transparent Spacer20 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Valtteri Bottas+2.824s
Transparent Spacer21 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Lance Stroll+3.628s
Transparent Spacer22 Player Cutout thumb Team Badge iconTeam equipment thumbnailFlag icon Jak Crawford+4.696s


Result Description
George Russell set the pace in a dominant opening practice for Mercedes, clocking a 1:31.666 to top the timesheets. The championship leader narrowly beat his teammate, Kimi Antonelli, by just 0.026 seconds, signaling that the "Silver Arrows" remain the team to beat in 2026. Despite a minor error that saw him run wide at Spoon Curve late in the session, Russell’s soft-tire run proved untouchable, further bolstered by Mercedes' striking "Wolf-inspired" special livery for the weekend.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri provided an encouraging start for McLaren, finishing third and fourth respectively after a difficult double retirement in the previous round in China. The Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton followed closely in fifth and sixth, while Max Verstappen endured a "low-key" session in seventh, reporting that the Red Bull was "bleeding laptime" in the high-speed corners. The session was briefly disrupted by a "clumsy" incident at the final chicane between Alex Albon and Sergio Pérez, which left debris on the track and triggered a post-session investigation by the stewards.

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plex icon Formula 1 2026-03-27 Japanese Grand Prix Practice 1.mkv
kodi icon Formula 1 2026-03-27 Japanese Grand Prix Practice 1.S2026E3.mkv
kodi icon (Scraper) Formula 1 2026-03-27 Japanese Grand Prix Practice 1.mkv


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