The action at the iconic Suzuka Circuit kicked off in style Friday, as McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri set the pace in the opening practice sessions for the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda made his much-anticipated debut for Red Bull Racing in front of an enthusiastic home crowd, and a disrupted second practice session provided plenty of drama for fans and teams alike.
Norris Fastest in FP1, Tsunoda Impresses in Debut
Under sunny skies and amidst the stunning backdrop of Japan's cherry blossoms, the first hour of practice saw Lando Norris lead the way with a benchmark time of 1m 28.549s. Mercedes’ George Russell and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc followed closely in second and third, while championship leader Norris demonstrated his McLaren’s pace by recovering from a brief off-track excursion to set the fastest lap.
Local hero Yuki Tsunoda debuted for Red Bull in a special white-and-red Honda tribute livery, celebrating the engine supplier’s 60-year history in Formula 1. Tsunoda quickly got to grips with the RB21, finishing the session just a tenth behind his reigning champion teammate Max Verstappen on soft tires. Both drivers steadily climbed the leaderboard, showcasing the potential of Red Bull's updated car for the Honda home race.
Elsewhere, Liam Lawson returned to the junior Racing Bulls team after a challenging start to the season in the Red Bull seat. Despite the shuffle, focus remained on Tsunoda, whose promotion marked a major highlight for the weekend.
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Piastri Claims FP2 as Red Flags Disrupt Running
The second practice session brought a series of stoppages, starting with a heavy crash for Alpine’s Jack Doohan. The Australian, who had handed over his car to reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa in FP1, lost control at Turn 1, bringing out the red flags just 10 minutes in. Despite significant damage to his car and barriers, Doohan reported that he was unharmed.
When the action resumed, Fernando Alonso became the next casualty. The Aston Martin driver beached his car at Turn 8 after dipping a wheel onto the grass, prompting another stoppage. With time running short, teams scrambled to complete their qualifying simulations using the soft Pirelli tires, leading to frantic on-track activity.
Amid the chaos, plenty of drivers had their moment to shine. Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar impressed by briefly leading the session, while George Russell mixed it up with Verstappen during some tense side-by-side moments. However, it was McLaren’s Oscar Piastri who ultimately topped the session with a 1m 28.114s effort, beating his teammate Norris by just 0.049s.
A late red flag, caused by a small fire at the side of the track, ended the session prematurely after another fire incident moments earlier. Behind the McLaren duo, Hadjar held on to third, followed by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Racing Bulls’ returning driver Liam Lawson.
Mixed Fortunes Across the Grid
The disruptions resulted in a shuffled top 10, with Russell settling for sixth place ahead of Leclerc, Verstappen, Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, and Williams’ Carlos Sainz. Alex Albon, in the other Williams, claimed 11th, while Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto of Kick Sauber followed closely in 12th and 13th.
The Haas duo of Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman rounded out the midfield order, while Kimi Antonelli, driving for Mercedes, struggled with setup issues and opted against soft tire runs. Alonso, Tsunoda, Lance Stroll, and Doohan occupied the final positions, as Alonso and Doohan were unable to return after their respective incidents.
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Eyes on Qualifying
With McLaren stamping their authority on Friday and Tsunoda showing strong promise in his Red Bull debut, the stage is set for an exciting qualifying session. Fans will be eager to see whether Norris and Piastri can convert their practice pace into pole positions or if Mercedes, Ferrari, and Red Bull will close the gap as the weekend progresses.
For Tsunoda, the atmosphere at Suzuka has already been electric, and the Japanese driver has the weight of home support as he aims to deliver a memorable performance for Honda’s special weekend. Meanwhile, teams will look to iron out Friday’s issues and refine their strategies for what promises to be a thrilling Japanese Grand Prix.
With Friday’s running now complete, the drivers and teams will look over their data before returning to the Suzuka Circuit for the third and final practice session on Saturday at 1130 local time, ahead of Qualifying later in the afternoon.