Fridays in Formula 1 are the very important first contact with a Grand Prix. There are career rhythms and classification tests. Vital for pilots and equipment, because in the F1 it is not enough and every minute is worth gold. Well, those of the Japan Grand Prix all twisted in a second session to forget. With four red flags (two for fires), a track exit from a Fernando Alonso who had shone in the morning (7th of the FP1) and McLaren in front as the only reality. They already scare staff.
McLaren Driver Oscar Piastri of Australia prepares to drive His Car During the Second Practice Session for The Japanese Formula One Grand Prix at The Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Central Japan, Friday, April 4, 2025. (Ap Photo/Hiro Komae)
The best was Oscar Piastri. He squeezed the McLaren and signed a 1: 28,114. He reduced Lando Norris, his partner and World Cup leader, at 0.049 and placed the MCL-39 in another league inside Suzuka. Although it is also true that they were the only ones with a little luck to make good turns in the important FP2. Because he had everything and almost everything was bad.
Doohan’s accident marks the FP2
Suzuka’s second was marked, from the first moment, by the incidents. He left with Jack Doohan accident with very few minutes disputed section. Alpine lost control in the first curve and received a very strong impact. Doohan, in debate since before starting the campaign, saw how his car was blocked and the main issue focused on whether the DRS had been operated. He seemed and leaves the Australian. From the physical, when getting fucking. Until his future on the weekend and within F1.
Doohan’s blow occurred with hardly any previous laps and cut the session 20 minutes. The thing also cooled much more because Fernando Alonso suffered a setback very few minutes later. After a very positive first, the Asturian failed in his first turn after setting up the soft game.
Alonso showed his ability in a very optimal sector for AMR25, but Degner 1 annoyed his Friday. He touched land in seventh march and lost the car completely. “Everything is fine, but I am caught,” he said when leaving. And there ended his training, empanized in the Japanese gravel. You can fight for the points, but you will miss some filming after an avoidable error.
More mess
Although Alonso will not lose so much filming, because the second free was that of the thousand and one problems. With hardly any quick turns, another red flag fell into Suzuka. And for a very rare reason, as a small fire in the dry grass of one of the curves after contacting the cars sparks. It is nothing common, but it can happen. The already rugged session cut more.
He made few pilots could draw positive conclusions from the end of Friday. Although those who land and more beneficiaries leave the premiere of Japan, McLaren. Lando Norris had time, just before the third red flag, to squeeze its MCL-39. He signed a 1: 28,163 – the fastest time of the day – and that the papaya car suffers too much in the last sector. But it was improved.
Norris leaves the box.
By his own partner, Oscar Piastri. In that internal war of McLaren, it is important every session and every time. The Australian did not give up the last minutes and calculated the return of the World Cup leader. But it was something better, with a 1: 28,114 that places him as a favorite to pole. And it is a message to the rest: McLaren is in another league.
Beyond the show papaya, the news was Racing Bulls. He gathered Hadjar 3 (0.404 from Piastri) and Liam Lawson, another weekend’s own name, in 5th position. Better and less unstable than the Red Bull of Verstappen (8th to 0.556) and a tsunoda covered throughout the training. Yes he did a good morning, but he didn’t finish finding back at the end of Friday.
Ferrari and Mercedes did not teach much. In the morning they were 2nd (Russell) and 3rd (Leclerc) less than half a second from Norris, but the FP2 messes left them touched. The best was Hamilton (4th), with Russell and Leclerc attached to about four tenths of the times of Piastri and Norris. They will have improvement, although it does not seem the most encouraging.
Fire in Suzuka.
Sainz takes muscle
The middle zone, on the other hand, will have a fight. Racing Bulls seems to find his fast laps, but Carlos Sainz left a good taste. He suffered the famous rebound at the beginning of the session and soon reported it, but when he found the point to the FW47, he improved. Until the 10th with a 28,832, two tenths better than Albon and willing to give the size to enter a Q3.
Although much remains to work. In teams like Aston Martin, which will be weird on Friday, and in candidates who could not roll in quantity or quality. The brooch, in addition, was perfect to summarize chaos because another small fire suspended the last seconds of training. Suzuka, for better and worse, always has things like that.
Free Classification 2
1st O. PIASTRI – McLaren 1’28 “113
2nd L. Norris McLaren 1’28 “163 +00” 050
3rd I. Hadjar Racing Bulls 1’28 “518 +00” 405
4th L. Hamilton Ferrari 1’28 “544 +00” 431
5th L. Lawson Racing Bulls 1’28 “559 +00” 446
6th G. Russell Mercedes 1’28 “567 +00” 454
7th C. Leclerc Ferrari 1’28 “586 +00” 473
8th M. Verstappen red bull 1’28 “670 +00” 557
9th P. Gasly Alpine 1’28 “757 +00” 644
10º C. Sainz Williams 1’28 “832 +00” 719
11th A. Albon Williams 1’29 “023 +00” 910
12th N. Hulkenberg Kick Sauber 1’29 “062 +00” 949
13th G. Bortoleto Kick Sauber 1’29 “335 +01” 222
14th E. OCON HAAS 1’29 “507 +01” 394
15º O. BEARMAN HAAS 1’29 “654 +01” 541
16th K. Antonelli Mercedes 1’29 “733 +01” 620
17º F. ALONSO ASTON MARTIN 1’29 “978 +01” 865
18º Y. Tsunoda Red Bull 1’30 “625 +02” 512
19º L. Stroll Aston Martin 1’30 “845 +02” 732
20th J. Doohan Alpine 1’31 “659 +03” 546