Under sunny skies at Suzuka, Norris set the pace while Tsunoda’s Red Bull debut drew early praise from fans and paddock alike.
The first Free Practice session at the Japanese Grand Prix kicked off under bright sunshine, despite predictions of rain for race day. While the air was a chilly 14°C, the track surface heated up beyond 30°C, creating tricky but fast conditions for the drivers.
Red Bull brought upgrades and a tribute
Red Bull rolled out several upgrades, including a revised engine cover, new rear suspension, and updated rear brake ducts. Aesthetically, the team is running a white-and-red livery this weekend in tribute to engine partner Honda.
Other teams followed suit with their own upgrades. Haas introduced a new floor earlier than planned, admitting they’re taking a bit of a gamble. They too have a special Japanese-themed livery. Racing Bulls featured a redesigned Halo, while Williams debuted a new front wing with updated endplates and a tweaked nose section. Sauber arrived with a new floor, front wing, and beam wing at the rear.
Young talent gets track time
Alpine became the first team this season to field a rookie in FP1. Ryo Hirakawa, Toyota WEC driver and Alpine reserve, got his first outing in place of Jack Doohan. The Japanese driver previously tested with Haas and McLaren.
Action on track: tight at the top
Max Verstappen initially went fastest with a 1:29.690 on soft tires, but George Russell eclipsed him with a 1:29.616 on mediums. Hamilton slotted in behind, while the Haas drivers improved slightly but remained at the back.
Yuki Tsunoda impressed early, clocking the fifth-fastest time—on softs, like Verstappen. Alex Albon was a surprise name in the top three on hard tires, sharing that honor only with Fernando Alonso in the top 10.
Russell pushed again, dropping a 1:29.176 before Verstappen closed the gap to just 0.035 seconds. Rookie Isack Hadjar then briefly held P3 for Racing Bulls. Russell later bolted on softs and took the top time down to 1:28.809.
Antonelli and Tsunoda both had turns in P2, with Sainz and Leclerc showing Ferrari’s strength by moving into the mix. Leclerc briefly took P2 before Verstappen regained the spot. Hamilton climbed to sixth as Russell laid down a 1:28.712 to reclaim P1.
Norris was on a flyer but made a mistake in the gravel. Tsunoda, however, kept improving, staying just a tenth off Verstappen. Alonso moved up to P5, and Antonelli continued to impress. Albon had a moment in the gravel at the hairpin after locking up.
Norris strikes late
With about 20 minutes left, Norris put together a clean lap and snatched P1 with a 1:28.549. Hamilton improved to P4, edging out the Red Bulls. Hirakawa held a solid P12 behind the Williams drivers and ahead of Pierre Gasly.
Leclerc reported poor deceleration, but Ferrari assured him it was due to a tailwind. Norris, noticing early tire graining, questioned if others experienced the same. His engineer confirmed Russell had some too, but Norris wasn’t convinced: “Yeah, but I have it.”
His engineer reassured him there was no degradation, prompting Norris to respond, “I don’t know how you don’t see the graining—it’s obvious.” Meanwhile, Antonelli had a minor off-track excursion but rejoined safely.
In the closing minutes, most teams focused on longer runs. Apart from Haas making gains, the leaderboard stayed static.
Final FP1 standings
Norris stayed on top ahead of Russell, with Leclerc and Hamilton in the mix. Verstappen rounded out the top five. Tsunoda delivered a standout performance, just 0.107s off Verstappen, finishing P6. Alonso, Hadjar, Antonelli, and Sainz completed the top 10.
Albon followed in 11th, just ahead of Hirakawa. Then came Lawson, Gasly, and a struggling Piastri, who couldn’t set a competitive time. Stroll, Hülkenberg (in Sauber colors), Bearman, Ocon, and Bortoleto rounded out the timesheets.
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL39 | 1:28.549 | 24 |
| 02 | George Russell | Mercedes W16 | 1:28.712 | 29 |
| 03 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-25 | 1:28.965 | 27 |
| 04 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari SF-25 | 1:29.051 | 25 |
| 05 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB21 | 1:29.065 | 23 |
| 06 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB21 | 1:29.172 | 25 |
| 07 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR25 | 1:29.222 | 25 |
| 08 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT VCARB 02 | 1:29.225 | 28 |
| 09 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes W16 | 1:29.284 | 28 |
| 10 | Carlos Sainz | Williams Mercedes FW47 | 1:29.333 | 28 |
| 11 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW47 | 1:29.392 | 25 |
| 12 | Ryo Hirakawa | Alpine Renault A525 | 1:29.394 | 24 |
| 13 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls Honda RBPT VCARB 02 | 1:29.536 | 28 |
| 14 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault A525 | 1:29.547 | 23 |
| 15 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL39 | 1:29.708 | 25 |
| 16 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR25 | 1:29.758 | 25 |
| 17 | Nico Hülkenberg | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C45 | 1:30.023 | 21 |
| 18 | Oliver Bearman | Haas Ferrari VF-25 | 1:30.077 | 17 |
| 19 | Esteban Ocon | Haas Ferrari VF-25 | 1:30.123 | 21 |
| 20 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C45 | 1:30.147 | 26 |
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Norris Leads Blazing Suzuka FP1, Tsunoda Impresses Early
Norris Leads Blazing Suzuka FP1, Tsunoda Impresses Early