Event
Date & Time
Fri 27th March 2026 11:30am Local
Fri 27th March 2026 2:30am UTC
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Japanese Grand Prix Practice 1
Date & Time
Fri 27th March 2026 11:30am Local
Fri 27th March 2026 2:30am UTC
Poster
Your Rating (Click a star below)
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League
Formula 1
Season
2026
Round
3
Status
FT
Location
Suzuka International Racing Course
Video Highlights
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Description
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.
Reports
Result List
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.
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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 Formula 1 2026-03-27 Japanese Grand Prix Practice 1.mkv Formula 1 2026-03-27 Japanese Grand Prix Practice 1.S2026E3.mkv (Scraper) Formula 1 2026-03-27 Japanese Grand Prix Practice 1.mkv |
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