Here’s how the first FP1 session in Japan unfolded in Formula 1: the full session recap.
Formula 1 hit the track at European dawn for the first 60 minutes of running at the Suzuka Circuit. The famous Japanese “figure-eight” layout hosts this new race weekend, before the forced break due to the conflict in the Middle East.
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Session Results
At the top were the two Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team cars of George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli. With a 1:31.666, the W17 secured first place in FP1 and strengthened its status as one of the favorites for the weekend, also thanks to an impressive race-pace simulation.
Behind them came the two McLaren cars and the two Scuderia Ferrari entries in 5th and 6th. The SF-26, however, showed encouraging signs, with strong single-lap simulations and solid race pace. Max Verstappen finished seventh, eight tenths behind. However, once he ran lighter on fuel, he still lost more than one second to the Mercedes W17s.
The next session is scheduled for 7:00 AM (European time) for FP2, before teams close their garages and shift focus to qualifying – which, as reported yesterday, will feature a reduction in maximum deployable energy.
Photos: Scuderia Ferrari HP
