SUZUKA, Japan : McLaren’s Oscar Piastri set the fastest time in second practice for the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday, finishing ahead of Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell in an encouraging day for the British team.
The Australian lapped the 5.8-km Suzuka circuit in one minute 30.133 seconds, with Antonelli just 0.092 seconds slower and championship leader Russell 0.205 off the pace.
Mercedes had earlier dominated the opening session, with Russell quickest ahead of Antonelli, as the pair continued their strong start to the season.
They are separated by four points at the top of the standings, having shared the race wins so far, and have locked out the front row in every qualifying session, raising the prospect of a third successive one-two finish to start the campaign.
Piastri’s performance capped a positive day for McLaren after both their cars failed to start in China.
“The feeling is positive,” Piastri said. “We’ve gathered some valuable data that puts us in a solid position.”
Teammate Lando Norris was third in the opening session and fourth in the second but spent considerable time in the garage, highlighting lingering reliability concerns.
“I got some laps, probably not enough,” Norris said. “We’re on the back foot. I just have to try and make the most of it.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were fifth and sixth in both sessions as the Italian team continued to trail Mercedes’ early-season pace.
Hamilton, a seven-times world champion, said he was still struggling with confidence in the car.
“I think it’s just balance,” he said. “We’ve just got to work hard overnight to figure out how we can set the car up better.”
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen ended the day 10th, while Nico Hulkenberg was seventh fastest ahead of Alex Albon and Oliver Bearman.
Fernando Alonso, who missed the opening session after handing his car to reserve driver Jak Crawford, was 19th quickest on his return.
There were no major incidents in either session.
