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Lando Norris remains confident that McLaren can still build the best car on the grid in 2026, with the Briton admitting that he and the team have to be patient following a tough start to the campaign. While Norris claimed P5 in the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, the squad endured a challenging outing one week on in China when both Norris and team mate Oscar Piastri were unable to start the race due to separate technical issues. During Thursday’s media day ahead of Round 3 of the season in Japan, Norris responded positively when asked if the team had been able to fully understand the problems. The reigning World Champion explained:
"Yep, alongside Mercedes High Performance Powertrains. It took a little bit of time to figure things out. Of course it hurt us as a team - it certainly didn’t make us look good to have two cars not starting a race. I think what hurt more is the fact it was out of our control, but with HPP we’ve worked hard to figure things out, to understand how it happened, why it happened, and of course we’ll do everything we can to make sure it doesn’t happen again. You live and you learn - it was a tough one for all of us. None of us want to have a weekend like that, and especially starting Sunday like that. It hurt a lot, but I think at the same time a good time for us to learn, step back and move on to this weekend".
Despite the tricky start to 2026, Norris believes that there is still plenty to get out of the MCL40:
“The car’s got a lot of potential. We’re certainly not where we want it to be. I think the real question to ask is would I rather be here and have won last year, or would I rather have a slightly better car now and not have won last year, and I think you know what my answer would be. You can’t have the best of everything, and I think as a team we certainly are not where we want to be and where we desire to be, but I think we all know within the team what we can achieve. Now is just as good of a time as ever to prove exactly what we can do as a team, against Ferrari, against Mercedes, who are performing very well at the minute. But I know the boys and the girls back at the factory are working very hard, and there’s good progress happening - it takes time to improve on some things. It’s not like we’re bad, we’re still the third best team at the minute, but we certainly enjoy being first a lot more than third. Time will tell - we’ve got some things in the pipeline and everyone’s working hard, so we’re ambitious to get back to the top".
With McLaren having good form when it comes to turning their prospects around - having enjoyed a particularly memorable resurgence in 2024, a season in which they claimed their first Teams’ Championship since 1998 - Norris is also confident that the squad can still get themselves back to the front this year:
"I can’t remember how many points we were behind in 2024 from Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari, but I think we were over 150 points behind and we still managed to come back and win the Constructors World Championhsip. I don’t know how far behind we are now - it’s already quite a bit. But I think we’re not necessarily thinking of that just yet - what we are thinking of is getting on the podium first of all and then returning to winning races. The points then take care of themselves and we’ll see what we can claw back, and we’re confident in that. We’re confident as a team and we believe in ourselves, that we won the last two championships and we won the Drivers’ last year because we could build the best car on the grid, and I’m confident we can get back to doing that this year. It just takes time - you have to be patient, but I have good belief in the team and I think we can have the best car this year".
Oscar Piastri has joked that he hopes to at least see the lights come on at the Japanese Grand Prix after failing to start in both Australia and China this season, with the Australian also sharing an insight into how he has reacted to experiencing a back-to-back DNS. Piastri’s tough run started at his home event in Melbourne, where the McLaren driver suffered a crash on his way to the grid that left him unable to participate in the event. One week later in Shanghai, the 24-year-old made it to the grid but was wheeled into the garage before the formation lap due to a technical issue on the car, which ultimately could not be fixed in time for the start.
In a double disappointment for the papaya squad, Piastri’s team mate Lando Norris was also unable to race after a separate problem on his MCL40. Speaking during Thursday’s media day in Suzuka, Piastri was asked if one of his targets this weekend would be to simply take part in the Grand Prix, to which the nine-time race winner laughed:
"That would be good, yes. It’s obviously not been the best start to the year, but we’ll try and at least see the lights come on this week and go from there. We kind of know where we sit in the pecking order, so we’re not expecting too many surprises there. Just executing a solid weekend would be good".
Pushed on whether he was left feeling angry or upset in light of those two non-starts, Piastri insisted that he had instead tried to learn from the situation as much as possible:
"There was not really anger. The first DNS, yes, there probably was some anger and disbelief and disappointment. I think after China, it is what it is - not everything works as well as you hope, there’s no point getting angry about it or too sad about it. I think unfortunately you can’t change anything, so all you can do is just focus on the next thing that’s in front of you and focus on how you can learn as much as you can in that situation. I tried to watch the race and see how the racing works, see where cars look good, see if there’s anything I can spot, and that’s all you can do, so for me that’s what I’ve tried to focus on".
Despite his lack of racing experience in 2026, Piastri has not changed his approach in terms of trying to gain any extra time on the simulator, with the Australian explaining: “I think I’ve tried to learn as much as I can from watching the races:
"I think definitely the way we go racing now is pretty different, so I'm just trying to learn and pick up as many things as I can from watching that. But in terms of the simulator running, there’s nothing really extra you can do, so there’s not really an easy way to catch up apart from just trying to do your best in the races once we get there, so there’s nothing too different".
And when asked what has to happen during the weekend in Japan for him to leave with a smile, Piastri answeres:
"Start the race, that would probably help! For me the first two races are what they’ve been - for me it’s about just trying to put in good performances, that’s all I can do. I’ve been happy with my Qualifying so far this year, and I think that’s been the biggest thing in my control, and I feel like I’ve adapted to the new cars and the new rules and my understanding of the rules I think is good. It’s just that I’ve not had any chance to show it in the race, and I think clearly the picture is that we’re behind Mercedes and Ferrari, so all I can do is just try my best and when I’m on track show what I can do".
George Russell has maintained that he and Mercedes are not taking anything for granted ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix despite a strong start to the 2026 Formula 1 season. The Briton leads the Drivers' Championship by four points from team mate Kimi Antonelli, Russell having claimed victory in the Australia season-opener and taking top spot in the China Sprint. Although Russell finished second to Antonelli in the Chinese Grand Prix, the pair were once again dominant as Mercedes continue to be the pacesetters under the new-for-2026 regulations. But with another 20 races remaining and the threat from Ferrari, as well as the likes of McLaren and Red Bull yet to bring substantial upgrades, Russell is wary that the destination of this year's titles are far from a forgone conclusion. Says Russell during Thursday's media day ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix:
"I think right now as Mercedes we have a small advantage over Ferrari and a good advantage over everyone else but these things change so quickly. We saw in the press about Red Bull being a bit overweight, so they can probably improve that quite quickly. McLaren still haven't brought any updates to the car and they have a Mercedes engine in the back so we want to make the most of it while we do have this advantage. We're not taking anything for granted because the competition is so fierce and we're sure that Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari will keep pushing us. It is too early to even think about the Championship".
Russell suffered a technical setback in Qualifying for the Chinese Grand Prix and was only able to complete one flying lap, which left him behind Antonelli and ultimately proved crucial in the outcome of the race. With McLaren non-starting after both cars suffered problems with the Mercedes power unit, Russell is wary that the title could be influenced by car issues:
"It's a long season, 22 races. I hope it's not going to be decided from reliability issues and problems. Obviously we had the issue on Saturday in Shanghai. The McLarens had the issue on Sunday. The truth is that can happen to any one of us. I would have loved to be on the top step [in China] but with all the problems that the Mercedes engines faced that weekend, I see it as 18 points gained and not seven points lost. Very happy with the start of the year and when you include the Sprint we've been P1, P1 and P2".
Kimi Antonelli has outlined his determination to stay focused on the bigger picture after securing his first F1 victory last time out at the Chinese Grand Prix, the Italian insisting that he wants to be in contention for the title. At 19 years old, he entered the record books as the sport’s second-youngest race winner after he evaded the pressure of his Mercedes team mate George Russell and their rivals at Ferrari following close behind in Shanghai. It wasn’t the easiest journey to the chequered flag - Antonelli had to recover from a collision in the Sprint to claim pole position, and then initially dropped behind Lewis Hamilton at lights out. However, he patiently reclaimed the lead on the second lap and controlled the race calmly, with the exception of a scary lock-up with a few laps remaining. Reflecting on the aftermath of his victory, Antonelli says:
"Definitely life outside racing has changed quite a bit. I enjoyed the moment a lot but I try to keep myself grounded because I think it's really easy to get carried away with the moment and kind of lose the focus on the ultimate goal".
That goal, he added, is to compete for the Drivers’ Championship, in which he currently sits four points behind Russell. But with 20 rounds still to unfold, Antonelli is aware that it’s a matter of producing consistently strong results and wants to continue with another “two or three” wins in the short-term:
"I really want to be in this fight because we have a great car and great opportunity. Of course, the one thing I'm lacking is experience still because it's only my second year and experience is something you cannot buy. I'm going to try and be ready for anything and for every kind of situation to be able to put myself in the best position possible in case the opportunity is presented. I know we have a really good car and I'm going to try and maximise the result".
The Silver Arrows have dominated proceedings so far, locking out the front row in both Australia and China, but Ferrari appear more resolute than ever to close the gap and begin fighting for wins, which will push Antonelli and Mercedes to continue scoring as highly as possible while they still can:
"It's been crazy but I've been enjoying the moment. It's been good fun but at the same time, I just moved the focus very quickly onto this weekend. China was incredible, winning was probably the best day of my life so far. But we've still got 20 races left so [I] just want to keep the momentum going and hopefully we can achieve something great this weekend as well".
Lewis Hamilton has shared an insight into why he feels that Ferrari’s 2026 car suits him much better than its predecessor, with the seven-time World Champion admitting that he is really grateful to the team for taking his feedback onboard. After joining the squad from Mercedes last year, Hamilton faced a challenging maiden season as a Scuderia driver and ended 2025 without a podium, marking the first campaign of his career in which he has failed to stand on the rostrum. The opening two rounds of 2026, however, seem to have gone much more smoothly for the Briton and the team, with Hamilton returning to the top-three in China while team mate Charles Leclerc claimed a podium finish one week earlier in Australia. Having spoken positively about his experiences of driving the car so far, Hamilton explained ahead of Round 3 on the calendar in Japan exactly why the SF-26 is a good fit for him:
"When I joined Ferrari last year, I had nothing to do with the build of that car. The car was already in the process of being made when I joined, and it was an evolution of the previous year's car. I arrived and was learning about a car that had been built not really for me and generally didn't suit my driving style. There were elements I was asking for but couldn't put in the season because it's too expensive, like suspension, to build with the budget cap. It was a really hard season - we didn't develop the car through the year because we decided to focus on this year's car. I got to work on the simulator and there were things that I was asking for, saying we have to have this on the car next year. We come to this year's car, completely new era, new start for everyone, but I've got a couple of things on there that I asked for which I'm really grateful that they listened and did. Charles and I tested it and we both loved it. The car is lighter and nimble, less downforce but it's a lot more like a go-kart, throwing it around. It's quite fun".
Reflecting further on the progress made by Ferrari amid the introduction of new technical regulations in 2026, Hamilton added: “There's lots of different views on this year's generation of car, but for me it's exciting that it's a new era for the sport.
"I think every time it has been a new era it's always been exciting to see where people come out, and I'm proud of the team. The work we've done over the last year to get us to this point and be closer to the front and in the battle I think is really a showing of the amazing work the team has done".
Looking ahead to the upcoming weekend at the Suzuka Circuit, Hamilton was quizzed on whether - off the back of his rostrum result in Shanghai - he can potentially dream of achieving his 106th career victory.
"It's a bit too close for that probably - it's only race three and we've only just got a podium after some time trying to chase that down, so I think one step at a time. We're just going to keep trying to build on what we've had so far performance-wise. Obviously Mercedes are still ahead, so we're under no illusion that they are clearly ahead. They've qualified seven-tenths, six-tenths, three-tenths I think ahead, so we've still got a gap to try and close and we've not yet made a step to do that, but every weekend is a new opportunity so we'll give it our best shot".
Charles Leclerc has reflected on the likelihood of Ferrari taking the fight to Mercedes in this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, with the Monegasque insisting the team are working extremely hard on upgrades with the aim to win races in 2026. Scuderia Ferrari have enjoyed an encouraging start to the season as they took a significant step forward under the new regulations, securing two podium finishes with Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in the first races at Albert Park and Shanghai.
Nevertheless, they are keen to close the gap to Mercedes, especially over one lap where Ferrari are down on the Silver Arrows’ pace and have been unable to claim a front row start in Qualifying so far. Asked just how close Ferrari are to Mercedes, Leclerc admitted: “I don’t think it’s as close as what people think. Obviously seeing the first few races, we see lots of fighting between the cars, which is actually quite nice, but as soon as you’re a little bit suboptimal with these cars, you lose a lot of lap time:
"Our only chance to stay with them is to annoy them in the first few laps, but as soon as they get free air they’ve shown their real pace in the last race. I think there’s still these four or five-tenths that we’ve seen so far in the first two races so it’s still a significant advantage. That doesn’t discourage me".
Ferrari have demonstrated that they can challenge the frontrunners during Grands Prix as both Leclerc and Hamilton have surged into the lead before defending against George Russell and Kimi Antonelli. Some thrilling battles have ensued as a result, but Leclerc explained that he is eager for Ferrari to improve and make the most of expected developments so that they can stay in the fight for the Championship:
"For now, we are in an okay-ish place but of course we’re not here to only do podiums. We want to win races, which at the moment seems very difficult because Mercedes are at a very high level. We are working very hard, especially the people back at the factory - they are working extremely hard to bring upgrades as soon as possible. I know there is quite a bit coming up soon but whether this is going to make the difference or not, I don’t know. I’m pretty sure the others are not on vacation either so it’s going to be tough".
After he missed out on a podium to Hamilton at the Chinese Grand Prix, settling instead for P4 after an entertaining contest, Leclerc appeared keen to manage expectations surrounding his chances in Japan:
"I think after the first free practice, we’ll already have an idea of where we stand compared to Mercedes. I don't see any characteristics that will drastically change what we’ve seen in the first two races... but let’s wait and see. There are still some very long back straights where we know Mercedes are going to be extremely strong but it’s also a very twisty track in the first two sectors, so hopefully we can have a big enough advantage to be faster on the overall lap. At the moment it looks unlikely with the picture we’ve made in the first two races".
Max Verstappen has admitted that it is unlikely he will win a fifth consecutive Japanese Grand Prix due to Red Bull’s lack of performance, explaining that the deficit to their rivals is currently too great. The Dutchman suffered a challenging round last time out in China as he missed out on a point in the Sprint by just four-tenths before retiring from the Grand Prix while running in P6, sacrificing what could have been a much-needed eight points. Red Bull’s drop in form has seen them fall behind not only their usual rivals in Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren, but also midfield competitors Haas, leaving Verstappen keen to maximise their performance at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix. After winning the last four events at the Suzuka Circuit, including a superb victory that saw him eclipse the dominant McLaren pair of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri last season, he says:
"I don't really think about the previous years because every year is different. We have to be realistic that we are nowhere near that kind of level at the moment, so I just go into the weekend and see where we will be".
Prompted on how the Milton Keynes outfit will make the most of April - with the rounds in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia not taking place that month - Verstappen explain:
"I hope that we can use that break to understand our car a little bit better. Learn from the previous races and just try to be closer to the front. I think that's the target for us. China was not a nice weekend for us, so I hope for a while that's our worst weekend. In that sense, the break will be good".
Although Red Bull promoted Isack Hadjar to partner Verstappen this season, they currently find themselves level with his former team Racing Bulls - both squads are on 12 points, but the sister team holds the advantage of scoring in every race so far. Hadjar got off to a flying start by qualifying third for the Australian Grand Prix before a reliability problem caused a DNF in the race. At the following round in China, he failed to recover to the top eight in the Sprint following a collision with Kimi Antonelli, but was able to claim a valuable four points in the Grand Prix. The flashes of potential have undoubtedly helped him to settle into his new seat, as he reflected ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix:
"I've done two races so let's see how it keeps going. It's definitely a hard challenge but at the same time I really feel at home so far. It's been going well, Max is always very fast, very impressive, delivers every lap but I'm trying to stay there. We're not the lightest car for sure. I wouldn't say it's very hard to drive, it's just slow. It's been definitely more inconsistent in Shanghai than it was in Melbourne. Melbourne I had a better feeling but it's not like it's an unpredictable car, un-driveable. We spend too much time in the corners. It's just not fast enough. That's it".
Gabriel Bortoleto admits that Jonathan Wheatley's departure from the Audi Formula 1 team did not come as a complete surprise, with the former Team Principal unable to commit to the project fully due to personal reasons. Just days after the Chinese Grand Prix, Audi announced that Wheatley would be leaving his role with immediate effect having been at the team - formerly Kick Sauber - for less than a year. In a statement, Audi stated that Wheatley had left due to personal reasons, having joined from Red Bull where he spent more than two decades. Ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix this weekend, Bortoleto was asked for his thoughts on Wheatley's departure after just two races since Audi came into F1:
"I think he couldn't commit to the project fully because he had personal things that he made public, and when you have personal things you need to put in place, that's the priority," said Bortoleto during Thursday's media day. I wouldn't say it's a surprise. Obviously it's a short period of time, it's only two races, he has been with us last year as well so it's not only that he has done two races".
Reflecting on the impact Wheatley had in his time with the team, Bortoleto added: He did a very good job last year, and this year as well I think. Everything was going quite smooth:
"He put everyone in a good place, we were improving in a lot of areas. I think he brought some positivity to the team and I think one of the things we always aim inside this team, not only with one person but with everyone, is that we are a team and we do things as a team so we don't depend on one person. Whatever he has done last year, whatever he has done this year, it doesn't depend on one person. It's going to keep going in this direction I would say".
Head of the Audi F1 project, Mattia Binotto, will take on Wheatley’s responsibilities, having previously been Team Principal at Ferrari, with Bortoleto optimistic about what the change in leadership will bring:
"It is what it is but we move on and I'm happy to have Mattia pointing us in the right direction. Mattia is taking over completely and taking full responsibility. He's a guy that I fully trust and a guy that gave me the opportunity to be in F1 so I'm extremely grateful and I'm also very optimistic about what he can bring with more responsibility”.
Team mate Nico Hulkenberg added that despite the change in leadership, the focus of the team was on performing in Japan to add to the points scored by Bortoleto in the opening round of the season.
"The mood is good, it's a race weekend so back to business. Focus on the work ahead. I found out pretty much with the world when it started to pop up. I think it's all been said, there's not any new info I can give. Is what it is. We perform our duty as a team and keep working".
Following back-to-back races in Australia and China, the grid’s 22 drivers reconvene on Friday morning at the picturesque yet technically demanding Suzuka Circuit, eager to continue learning more about the new generation of cars. A queue forms at the end of the pit lane early on with hard compound tyres looking like the popular choice, and it is the Ferrari pair of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc who exchange the first benchmark times of the hour. Elsewhere, teams sport aero rakes and flow-vis paint to gather information that will be reviewed in April ahead of the next round in Miami. One such squad is Aston Martin, who hand Fernando Alonso’s car over to Third Driver Jak Crawford for the opening session of Honda’s home event. Championship leader Russell is the next to shoot to the top of the timesheets, moments after Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar suffers a scary snap of oversteer, reporting over the radio that there are issues with cold brakes and pulling. As the drivers put in more laps, Leclerc narrowly improves on Russell’s time with only 0.079s separating the top four just before the halfway point, with the second Mercedes of Antonelli and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri - who is yet to start a Grand Prix this season - looking to close down the gap even further. Instead, Russell restores his advantage as he bolts on the red-walled soft tyres and clears his teammate’s latest effort by over two-tenths, suggesting that the Silver Arrows’ pace over one lap is still the one to beat. Antonelli, buoyed by his maiden win last time out in China, then leapfrogs the Briton to take P1, improving his own lap time while capitalizing on an error that sees Russell run wide on a flying lap. He isn’t the only one to struggle with oversteer, but is the sole driver able to eclipse Antonelli’s time as the Italian heads back to the garage. Williams’ Alex Albon, trying out an upgraded front suspension, joins the list of those narrowly avoiding a crash as he rattles over the gravel at Degner 2 and taps the barrier in the process, remaining in P17. Heading into the final minutes of FP1, Albon’s day goes from bad to worse as he bumps into Cadillac driver Sergio Perez heading into the same corner and causes some debris to spread across the track. Russell’s time of 1m 31.666s is enough to keep him at the top of the order, albeit just 0.026s ahead of Antonelli to round out another strong performance by Mercedes as they showcase their wolf-inspired livery for the Japanese Grand Prix. With Norris and Piastri seeking a much improved weekend after their double DNS in China, they get off to an encouraging start by finishing FP1 in third and fourth respectively, beating Ferrari’s Leclerc and Hamilton. Max Verstappen can only manage P7 and is followed by Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, who has a shaky moment with Alpine’s Franco Colapinto late in the session. Esteban Ocon and Arvid Lindblad round out the top 10.
After the Silver Arrows lead a 1-2 during the day’s opening practice session, the drivers and teams return to action for Free Practice 2 at 15:00 local time. This includes Fernando Alonso, who is set to make his first track appearance of the weekend after handing his car to Third Driver Jak Crawford during FP1. Lewis Hamilton leads the pack out in a busy start to the hour; the majority of the field sports the medium tyres while a small number opts for the hard compound, and Alonso bolts on the soft rubber. Replays show a close moment in the pit lane between Pierre Gasly and Alex Albon, as the Alpine has to take avoiding action after the latter emerges in front of him from the Williams garage. While most of the field are putting their initial laps on the board, Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad returns to the pits after an opening run, as the car seemingly experiences an issue. Elsewhere, McLaren’s Lando Norris and Cadillac’s Sergio Perez are yet to make an appearance, each remaining in their respective garages. There is further drama for Albon, who encounters a slower-moving car in the Esses while on a hot lap - and it does not end there for the Thai driver, as his FW48 later comes to a halt on track, briefly triggering the yellow flags before he manages to get moving again. Also still in the garage is Gabriel Bortoleto; the Audi driver is forced to watch on as the team works on his car following just two laps’ running. But out on track, it is Charles Leclerc who has set the early pace, the Ferrari driver going quickest with a 1m 31.019s ahead of Piastri and Russell. There is positive news over at McLaren, as Norris heads out onto the circuit with just under 40 minutes left on the clock, the Briton running the medium tyres as he belatedly gets his programme underway. Meanwhile, others have swapped to the soft compound, including teammate Piastri who has climbed to the top of the timesheets. Cadillac states that the delay to Perez joining the session is due to the car still being repaired following floor damage from the Mexican’s contact with Albon in FP1, while Racing Bulls confirms that Lindblad’s session has come to an end due to a gearbox issue. Meanwhile, the stewards announce that an incident between Alpine’s Franco Colapinto and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen will be investigated after the session over Colapinto allegedly driving erratically, as the Argentine driver seemingly weaves to warm up his tyres as the Dutchman approaches at speed.
As FP2 reaches its halfway mark, Piastri is quickest on a 1m 30.133s, with a margin of nine-hundredths over the Mercedes of Antonelli, while the other Silver Arrows machine of Russell follows in third. Perez joins the fray following his delayed start, the Cadillac driver going straight onto the soft tyres, while Norris places a respectable sixth on the medium rubber. As many switch their focus back to the medium and hard-shod runs in the latter stages - just as Norris swaps to the soft tyres - Bortoleto rejoins the action in the final 10 minutes. When the chequered flag falls to bring FP2 to a close, Piastri remains on top with his earlier effort, staying 0.092s ahead of Chinese Grand Prix winner Antonelli. Russell holds onto third, ahead of Norris in fourth and the Ferrari duo of Leclerc and Hamilton in fifth and sixth - despite the latter reporting that he has no confidence in the car. Nico Hulkenberg leads Audi’s charge in seventh, while Albon, Haas’ Ollie Bearman, and Verstappen - who experiences a wide moment in the latter stages - round out the top 10. Lando Norris is left to rue a pretty bad day after experiencing technical issues during both of Friday’s practice sessions at the Japanese Grand Prix, with the day bringing mixed fortunes for McLaren amid Oscar Piastri setting the pace in Free Practice 2. After completing 20 laps in the first practice hour - slightly less than some of his rivals - and placing third on the timesheets, Norris faces a delayed start to second practice as the team continues to work on his car in the garage. The Briton eventually joins the session with just under 40 minutes left on the clock, putting him out of sync with much of the pack as he works through his programme. He ends the hour with a tally of 17 laps, as well as setting the fourth-quickest time while Piastri places in P1. When it is put to him after the session that it seems like the pace is there for both him and Piastri - despite the gremlins on his car - Norris downplays this as he responds:
"The pace is there for Oscar, not for me at the minute. A pretty bad day from our side, just not a lot of laps. Not the way you want things to go at the minute, especially because you’re just learning with every lap you can still do and I’m lacking a lot of laps. Not the best start, but we’ve got a night off to look at things and try and fix some things for tomorrow".
Pushed on whether he has gained enough mileage to understand where the fixes need to be made overnight, Norris adds:
"I got some laps, probably not enough. We’re on the back foot, I just have to try and make the most of it".
McLaren Racing Director Randy Singh sheds further light on the issues that have affected Norris’ car, with the problems leading the team to focus on trying to maximise what is possible:
"We discovered a hydraulic leak during FP1, and then we did everything that we could to identify the source and try and fix it. Unfortunately we weren’t able to do that, so our aim was to try and do the best that we could in that session. The team did a good job to maximise what we could learn in FP2. We’re lucky it’s a normal event rather than a Sprint weekend, so there’s enough running to catch up and stuff. I think we did a good job of maximising what we could learn with the running we had - the runs were a bit shorter. Lando’s pace was pretty good for how little running he did".
While Piastri ends FP2 on top, Singh does not feel that the pecking order has evolved greatly since the beginning of the season. Asked if the result is promising, he answers:
"Yeah, promising for an FP2. We were P1 in Australia during FP2 as well, so I don’t think the pace order has materially changed between Australia and here. We’re doing our best to just get the most out of the car at the moment. Obviously we’re always optimistic and hopeful, but we have to be realistic as well".
McLaren Team Principal Andrea Stella asserts his belief that McLaren will avoid a repeat of the double DNS they suffered at the Chinese Grand Prix, insisting in Japan that dealing with the setback is testament to how strong the outfit is. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri endure a woeful day in Shanghai as they both suffer power unit electrical issues that prevent them from starting the race from the third row. While the problems reveal themselves at similar times, with Norris unable to leave the garage before Piastri is wheeled back to the pits ahead of the formation lap, they have completely separate causes which are now addressed by Mercedes High Performance Powertrains:
"China was definitely a challenging and frustrating event for us. Two cars not being able to take part in a Grand Prix is pretty exceptional as a situation. We understand the source of the problem - in both cases, it was related to the electrical side of the power unit. We had faults on the battery, but different faults at pretty much the same time of the weekend. In this sense, it’s quite exceptional. We have worked together with HPP to investigate the problem. I think the problem is now understood - it’s not the same, like I said, on the two batteries. On Oscar’s side we were in condition to reuse the same battery because we could apply some repairs, while on Lando’s side we needed to go on to a new battery pack".
In the Australian driver’s case, it means he is unable to start the Grand Prix for a second consecutive weekend after he crashes on his way to the grid in the season opener at his home event in Melbourne. As reigning World Champions, McLaren experience a somewhat lackluster start to the year and sit a distant third in the Standings, just one point ahead of Haas. However, both Stella and Norris share their belief that they will bounce back as they develop the car. Asked in Japan whether there is any risk of another DNS, the team boss replies:
"No. We trust 100% that HPP have put in place remedials. HPP have very high standards - when they have information to process from a fault, for sure they will execute and put in place all the necessary learnings, adaptations and actions to avoid a repeat. We look forward as a team and we look forward for Oscar, who has not been able to have a lap in a race this season. We want to definitely break this trend and be there. The way the team has reacted to the frustration of not seeing a McLaren taking part with both cars in the Grand Prix has been a way of witnessing the strength of the culture that we have in the team. This is the result of the investment in our people, in our culture, that has been going on for three years. We said last year that the Championship was won when we resisted adversity - Qatar, Vegas - and in a way, we have the same belief this year. I think there’s all the reasons to be encouraged looking at the future, and hopefully we’ll start to see some improvements already in the next events".
George Russell admits that the pace of McLaren during Friday practice for the Japanese Grand Prix is a little bit of a surprise. The Mercedes driver enters the third round of the season leading the Drivers' Championship, having won the season-opener in Australia and the China Sprint Race before finishing second behind teammate Kimi Antonelli in the Chinese Grand Prix. The German manufacturer dominates proceedings so far under the new-for-2026 regulations and although Russell leads a Mercedes 1-2 in Free Practice 1, the pair are unable to match the pace of McLaren's Oscar Piastri in the second one-hour session in Japan. Says Russell, who is two-tenths slower than Piastri in FP2:
“McLaren were pretty fast so that was a little bit of a surprise to be honest. There's still some improvements we need to do so a bit of work to do tonight”.
The reigning Teams' champions, McLaren suffer a disastrous double DNS in China when neither Piastri nor Drivers' World Champion Lando Norris are able to make the start after problems with their Mercedes power units. Norris also suffers problems in Japan, as a suspected hydraulic leak means he misses half of the FP2 session, but the Briton still finishes only half a second behind Piastri. When asked if he thinks McLaren's pace is genuine, Russell suggests there is more that Mercedes need to do in order to continue its winning start to the campaign:
"I don't see why it wouldn't be genuine to be honest. I think Lando's had a disruptive day but Oscar has been pretty on it from the first lap out of the box this morning. We'll find out come Qualifying. I think we've got some more to give and things weren't quite optimised, especially on my side with the energy management, so hopefully a little bit more to come tomorrow. I think there's some quite big differences in the deployment between teams and what's been optimised over the course of the lap. I think we didn't quite have that right and it should be a relatively easy fix".
Lewis Hamilton says he feels like I've got a bit of a North Star to aim for after struggling for confidence with his Ferrari during Friday practice ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. The seven-time World Champion enters this weekend at the Suzuka Circuit having taken a Grand Prix podium for the first time with Ferrari last time out in China, with the Scuderia proving to be Mercedes' closest challenger during the new-for-2026 era so far. But both Hamilton and teammate Charles Leclerc find themselves behind the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri during Friday's two, one-hour practice sessions in Japan, with Hamilton complaining about a lack of confidence with his SF-26. Although Hamilton states the feeling is similar to last season, the Briton believes there is a clear path to try and work towards in order to improve the situation and keep Ferrari towards the front over the weekend:
"It's just the way of this track, it's a massively demanding circuit. Amazing to drive but getting the right balance, I think it's just something in how this car is set up. Some similarities to what I felt last year. We're just working on that, so I'm confident overnight we can find something and get it to a better place".
Hamilton looks to follow up his maiden Ferrari podium - achieved last time out in China - with a solid performance in Saturday's Qualifying at Suzuka, taking place at 15:00 local time following the third and final practice session at 11:30:
"It's an awesome circuit but you need to be able to sit on the rear and be comfortable that it's going to stay with you, and today I had the snaps. I just can't seem to match the other guys. We'll do a deep dive tonight, get some interesting readings from the simulator but I feel like I've got a bit of a North Star, it's just how do we get there. We're going to try and figure that out. There is more potential in the car, it's just figuring out how to unlock that. That's what we've got to focus on".
Max Verstappen accepts that he shouldn’t expect miracles overnight after he endures a frustrating lack of pace and issues with his car in Free Practice ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix. Red Bull have so far been unable to optimize their challenger in the opening rounds of the season, with both Verstappen and teammate Isack Hadjar struggling with handling and reliability. Their poor start leaves them on just 12 points so far after Hadjar retired in Australia while running in P5, before the Dutchman’s race in China is halted due to cooling issues. Verstappen does not shy away from expressing his vexation at their deficit to the frontrunners, and despite bringing some upgrades to the Suzuka Circuit, including slimmer sidepods, the Milton Keynes outfit continues to face obstacles throughout FP1 and FP2. Reflecting on the day, he later says:
"Not very good, to be honest - lacking balance, grip, two opposites from FP1 to FP2, and both of them are not very good, so from our side a lot of work to be done to also understand why we’re having these kinds of big problems at the moment. Not a good day. You just try to correct one thing and you get another one, but never finding a good balance basically".
Asked to elaborate on whether he has ideas around what the team should focus on, Verstappen adds:
"Yeah, but at the same time it’s very difficult to solve at the moment, so I don’t expect miracles overnight. We just need to understand our issues a bit more, where they are coming from".
While Verstappen is able to break into the top 10 in both sessions on Friday - finishing seventh and 10th respectively - Hadjar cannot quite match his pace, with the pair fighting frequent snaps of oversteer that see them scrambling to stay on the track. The team’s chief engineer, Paul Monaghan, explains that their performance currently does not match the standards we set ourselves, but they have clear improvements to make ahead of FP3 and the all-important Qualifying hour:
"We’ve identified some things that are wrong which is nice because we’ve got a chance to correct it. Now the question is how to correct it, so we’re busy bees looking at that. In essence, the car is what it is. Now can we figure out what’s gone wrong, understand it, fix it and hide it from everybody and drive out the door and be fast tomorrow? It’s a little challenge for us".
Saturday's one-hour practice session is the final chance for drivers and teams to gain crucial knowledge and fine-tune setups ahead of Qualifying later today at the Suzuka Circuit.Despite this, it takes until the clock reaches close to 15 minutes before the majority of the field takes to the track and conducts some form of running. Lewis Hamilton initially puts down the benchmark using Pirelli's soft tyre before Ferrari teammate Leclerc goes fractionally quicker with a 1m 31.018s. One driver only able to complete minimal running is reigning World Champion Lando Norris; the McLaren driver's technical issues from Friday continue to plague him as his MCL40 remains in the garage until there are just 25 minutes left on the clock due to an ERS (Energy Recovery System) problem.Antonelli becomes the first driver to dip below the 1m 31s barrier approaching the 20-minute mark, posting a 1m 30.418s to comfortably go fastest by six-tenths from Leclerc, before the Ferrari driver soon brings the margin down to just over one-tenth. Russell slots into third with his initial run, also one-tenth behind Antonelli, as traffic through 130R becomes an issue with both Hulkenberg and Bottas feeling aggrieved.Approaching the halfway point, Leclerc goes fastest on a 1m 30.229s as Antonelli is unable to respond with his next effort before Russell slots between the pair; both Mercedes drivers lose time in the final sector compared with Leclerc.Antonelli then becomes the first driver this weekend to dip below the 1m 30s barrier, setting a 1m 29.929s entering the final 30 minutes before Russell lowers the benchmark by a further 0.011s.Norris' initial run puts him 11th as he is finally able to get out for some running, just before Russell sets a 1m 29.616s that is then immediately beaten by Antonelli's 1m 29.362s, which finishes as the fastest time in FP3.Leclerc remains best of the rest at the chequered flag, albeit more than eight-tenths behind, with McLaren's Oscar Piastri fourth followed by Hamilton and Norris, who is 1.2s away from Antonelli's effort. The top 10 is completed by Nico Hulkenberg (Audi), Red Bull's Max Verstappen, the second Audi of Gabriel Bortoleto, and Pierre Gasly (Alpine).
After three practice sessions across the weekend at Suzuka so far, the Racing Bulls pair led a queue of cars out of the pit lane - all sporting the soft tyres - when Q1 got underway at 1500 local time, though around half of the pack opted to stay in their respective garages during the opening minutes. As the clock ticked down and others started to join the fray, the Mercedes duo were the last to head out on track - and while Leclerc had gone fastest prior to the Silver Arrows pair setting a timed lap, it was Antonelli who surged into P1 on his first effort, with Russell more than half a second back from his team mate in fifth. The Briton reported that something doesn’t feel quite right following his effort, adding that he was experiencing oversteer. Elsewhere another surprise came courtesy of Hulkenberg, who slotted his Audi into fifth place on the timesheets. At the other end of the spectrum, the Williams, Cadillac and Aston Martin cars all found themselves at risk of elimination in the bottom six, while Alpine’s Colapinto was on the bubble in P16. Leclerc improved on his second push lap to replace Antonelli at the top, the Monegasque breaking into the 1m 29s to beat the Italian by one-tenth. The action on track soon picked up again in the final minutes, with the pack keen to secure their place in Q2. While Leclerc, Hamilton and Antonelli remained in the pits, the rest of the field tried to improve - including Russell, who moved up to second on a time 0.052s behind Leclerc. This pushed Bearman down into the danger zone - and while Sainz had hauled himself out of the bottom six for the first time this season, Colapinto looked to be the main candidate to threaten Albon’s place. The Alpine driver slotted into P16, dropping Albon down and putting the Williams driver out of the session. Bearman was a somewhat surprising elimination in P18, the Haas racer joining Perez, Bottas, Alonso and Stroll in exiting Qualifying. After being the last to head out in Q1, the Mercedes duo were the first to hit the track when Q2 began, followed by the Ferrari cars - with all running used soft tyres. Antonelli was again looking quick, the Italian going fastest in the opening laps on a 1m 29.774s. Russell’s effort was three-tenths adrift, the Silver Arrows machines separated by the Ferrari of Leclerc - before Piastri went quickest of all with his lap of 1m 29.451s, placing him ahead of Antonelli and Leclerc. Norris was fourth, in front of Bortoleto - catching the eye again in the Audi - and Russell. Replays showed Russell experiencing a drift out of the final corner, the British driver’s struggles with the rear of the W17 continuing.
As he returned to the track for another lap, the names at risk in the bottom six were Hulkenberg, Ocon, Lindblad, Colapinto, Lawson and Sainz. Following his next lap, Russell - on a fresh set of soft tyres - remained three-tenths behind Piastri, before Leclerc pumped in a 1m 29.303s to go to the top. Verstappen, meanwhile, was at risk of elimination, the Red Bull driver sitting in 10th place as the segment headed towards its close. While Hulkenberg could not improve on P12 to beat the Dutchman, Lindblad impressively shot up to P10, displacing Verstappen - who reported that his car was completely undriveable - and pushing the four-time World Champion down to P11. As Antonelli ended Q2 with the fastest time in the final moments via a 1m 29.048s, the drivers joining Verstappen in making an early exit were Ocon, Hulkenberg, Lawson, Colapinto and Sainz. Antonelli was first out on track to kickstart the top-10 shootout, with most of the field sporting fresh soft tyres while Bortoleto, Gasly and Lindblad opted for used sets. After everybody had put a lap on the board, Antonelli had again gone quickest via his effort of 1m 28.778s. Once again Russell looked slightly more distant in comparison to his team mate, the Briton’s lap nearly three-tenths away in P2. The McLarens, meanwhile, slotted into third and fourth with Piastri and Norris, followed by Leclerc and Hamilton while Hadjar, Gasly, Bortoleto and Lindblad completed the order, the latter having had his time deleted due to exceeding track limits. After a brief lull in the action, the pack headed out again to set their decisive final laps of Q3, with Antonelli the first out of the pit lane. Amid a slight lock-up, Antonelli could not improve despite going fastest of all in the final sector - but it was enough to keep the Mercedes driver on top, with Russell also remaining in second. Piastri slotted into third, while Leclerc was looking racy out on track. A snap of understeer for the Monegasque undid the lap and left him in P4, putting him ahead of Norris. Hamilton - who had been shown the black and white flag for driving unnecessarily slowly at the pit exit - went sixth quickest. Gasly was best of the rest in P7, with Hadjar leading Red Bull’s charge in P8 from Bortoleto and Lindblad.
Kimi Antonelli raves about the incredible feeling he experiences upon claiming pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix, building on his formidable start to the 2026 season.Just two weeks after becoming the sport’s youngest-ever polesitter, the 19-year-old repeats the feat at the Suzuka Circuit by beating his Mercedes teammate George Russell by nearly three-tenths in Q3.The Briton is far from his best as he struggles with balance problems, but Antonelli seems to evade any such issues and ends the session with an unassailable time of 1m 28.778s, helping the Silver Arrows to lock out the front row for the third successive round:
"It was a good session, I’m happy with it. I think I was able to improve lap by lap. That first Q3 lap was good. Second lap was looking strong but then at Turn 11 I locked up and lost quite a bit of time so it was a shame. I was a bit annoyed with that but [I got] pole position. I felt good in the car, felt good with the track, and now focusing on tomorrow".
Reflecting on the support he enjoys over the weekend, he explains in an earlier interview:
"The fans here in Japan are pretty incredible. There's so much passion and racing at a historic track is an incredible feeling. The track is unbelievable to drive with this kind of car plus the fans give us a little bit more of a boost when we go on track".
Antonelli now hopes to avoid small errors that occasionally impact his performance at times - such as his crash in FP3 at the season opener in Australia as well as a poor start and time penalty in the China Sprint Race - and targets his second Grand Prix victory. With eight of the last 12 events in Japan having been won from pole position, there is a strong chance that a clean race could see him leapfrog Russell and take an early lead in the Drivers' Championship Standings. Reflecting on how he is hitting the ground running this season, with a P2 and win already under his belt, he says:
"For sure I was able to build momentum already from the Melbourne race, and then China was continuing to build momentum. It’s just trying to keep this momentum and keep on trying to improve and squeeze a bit of performance every time without overdoing it. I think overall I’m getting a good feeling with the car. Of course there’s still work to do, especially on maximising the PU but it was good. I’m really happy with that".
George Russell shares an insight into the issues behind his really difficult Qualifying at the Japanese Grand Prix, with the Briton admitting that a small adjustment appears to have transformed his car for the worse. After setting the pace during Friday’s first practice hour, Russell looks unable to match Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli on Saturday, the Italian topping Free Practice 3 before going on to secure pole position in Qualifying. Russell has to settle for P2, with his effort being nearly three-tenths adrift of Antonelli’s pole-setting time, and the 28-year-old concedes later on that he and the team are still trying to establish the exact cause of his problems. When asked what is happening, Russell answers:
"Right now we don’t really know, to be honest. We made a small adjustment to the rear suspension going into Qualifying, and it’s tiny, and suddenly the car was transformed for the worse. Then I started getting these weird vibrations from the rear, so I’m hoping something was not right and we’re able to solve it, but it was really odd".
To make matters worse, Russell admits that the issue does not improve through the session, explaining that he instead gets used to it and drives around it:
"I could then adjust the front wing to compensate. But the car was just totally out of balance from the entry of the corners to the mid-corner, because the rear was moving around on the entry so I had to drop loads of front wing, and then I was getting understeer at the apex. A really difficult session - a bit annoying because it’s been two weeks in a row now. In China I was much more competitive and then it went wrong in Q3; here I felt pretty confident after practice and then it was wrong. It was bad for the whole session, so I need to get on top of it".
Toto Wolff concedes that George Russell faces a disadvantage entering the Japanese Grand Prix, with the team boss admitting that his driver has to carry the issue he experiences in Qualifying forwards to race day. While Kimi Antonelli surges to pole position during Saturday’s session at the Suzuka Circuit - marking his second consecutive P1 slot after claiming his first-ever pole last time out in China - it proves to be a more challenging afternoon for Russell, who cannot match the pace of his teammate. The Briton ends Qualifying in second place but with a deficit of nearly three-tenths to Antonelli, the 28-year-old going on to suggest that a small adjustment made to the rear suspension on his car transforms it for the worse. Toto Wolff also points to this as the likely cause for Russell’s struggles in the session when quizzed on what is happening:
"I think we did probably a set-up change on the other side, something we did that we expected to have less impact than it had. It put the car on the nose, so too much oversteer, and that made it very difficult for him".
Pushed further on whether this is to protect any tyres for the race, and if the issue is something that can be changed for race day, the Austrian responds:
"No, it’s probably the opposite - I think he needs to carry this into the race now, which is certainly a disadvantage, but these things happen".
Sharing his thoughts on Antonelli’s Qualifying, Wolff speaks positively about the 19-year-old’s attitude and approach:
"I think when you hear his radio communication, also in the intercom in the garage, he’s just calm, not putting himself too much under pressure, putting the one lap in that was very good - Bono told him to put a banker in. And then he pushed it a little bit hard on the last one and it wasn’t so good, but it’s really pleasing to see".
Oscar Piastri admits that while McLaren still lacks the pace to launch a serious challenge on Mercedes, his P3 result in Qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix marks an encouraging step forward for the team. The Australian endures a disheartening first two rounds of the season as he crashes ahead of the formation lap of his home event in Australia, before an electrical issue in the power unit also prevents him from starting the Chinese Grand Prix. Despite his lack of racing laps, he produces some admirable performances at the Suzuka Circuit, topping the timesheets in FP2 and securing third place in Qualifying behind the Mercedes pair of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell:
"I think that was more or less all we had. The last lap of Q3 wasn’t great but the first lap was pretty solid so all in all, I’m pretty happy with that. It’s nice to get a bit closer to Mercedes so hopefully we can stay there tomorrow".
His best effort - a 1m 29.132s - is 0.354s adrift of Antonelli’s pole position time, indicating that McLaren still need to work on closing the deficit over one lap, but it remains to be seen exactly what Piastri can do at lights out. The Woking outfit’s season is so far impacted by reliability problems, with teammate Lando Norris, who qualifies in fifth place, missing a significant portion of FP3 due to an Energy Recovery System issue.
Nevertheless, Piastri believes that they have managed to take a step forward in Japan without bringing any major upgrades to the car, which could partly be down to the unique characteristics of the circuit:
"The car hasn’t changed in the three races we’ve had so it doesn’t really feel that different. I think maybe this track suits us a little bit better, and I think we’ve been able to exploit the power unit a bit better and just optimise things a bit more. I think we are clearly behind in terms of our package, but I didn’t think we got the most of it in Australia or China. I think this weekend we’ve done a really good job of that. It’s nice to be making some progress but there’s still a pretty big gap to find".
Lando Norris admits he is satisfied starting fifth for Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix after a difficult start to the weekend means the reigning World Champion has spent more time watching the TV than driving in the car. The McLaren driver has been plagued by reliability problems with his MCL40 at the Suzuka Circuit, including a suspected hydraulic leak and Energy Recovery System issue in Free Practice 2 and 3 respectively. The Briton completes just 29 laps across both sessions - 18 laps less than teammate Oscar Piastri achieves - and means Norris enters Saturday Qualifying on the back foot before putting in a solid performance:
"To be ahead of one of the Ferraris after the weekend we've had, I think I'm pretty happy about that. It's been difficult watching the TV more than driving in the car this weekend, or the season actually. Not been our weekend so far but I was a bit happy with Quali and just getting a few more laps under my belt and getting comfortable. Just always one or two steps behind and as soon as I do something better then I need to fix somewhere else. It's just painful but I think it could have been a lot worse with the amount of laps I've done. I'm happy. We're in a good position and we'll see how we do in the race".
Despite having got between the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, with Piastri further ahead in P3, Norris is unsure of his potential pace for Sunday's 53-lap race due to the lack of running in practice, particularly on high fuel:
"I've done no laps at high fuel. Don't know what the battery is going to do, don't know what the engine is going to do. It's difficult, makes me have to pay extra attention tonight and just try and study everything and look at the videos and onboards of others, Oscar's running, to understand what to expect, how to drive the car and all these things. Not the most confident I've probably been going into a Sunday but the car has been performing pretty well this weekend, the pace seems pretty decent, better than the last couple".
Charles Leclerc is hopeful that, with a good start, he and Ferrari can put the Mercedes cars under pressure in Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix, with the Monegasque starting from P4 after pushing to the max during Qualifying. Leclerc catches the eye as he embarks on his decisive run in Q3, before a snap of oversteer appears to undo his lap and leave him in a final position of fourth. However, the 28-year-old suggests afterwards that this moment actually has the opposite effect:
"It was okay, I wasn’t too stressed. Also because… I don’t know what the perception was of [that] moment, because I feel like many people were saying I was losing lap time because of that. I actually gained a lot of lap time by carrying that amount of speed in that corner, so actually it was a good thing that I had this moment, and I don’t think it sacrificed any of my lap after that. I was just pushing to the max, and it was a pretty good lap overall. The only thing that we struggle on our side for now is whenever we push in Q3, the optimisation of the system is struggling a little bit and then we lose time in the straight, so we lost a lot of lap time in the straight in Sectors 2 and 3. That is very frustrating because as a driver you cannot do much, but I know the FIA is working actively on this issue and hopefully we can find a solution soon, as in Qualifying it’s very frustrating".
Leclerc lines up behind the Mercedes pair of Kimi Antonelli and George Russell on race day, as well as McLaren’s Oscar Piastri. However, when asked if he can go after the Silver Arrows on Sunday, the eight-time race winner indicates that a fast launch is likely the key to this:
"I mean, with a good start we can maybe put them under a bit of pressure, but I truly think that at one point they will get away like they’ve done in the past two races - they’ve got too much of a pace advantage. However, if for some reason we manage to take the fight until the last lap of the race, which is a long shot, then maybe we can hope for the win. But as soon as they will have one lap in free air, it will be impossible for us to get back".
Leclerc’s teammate Lewis Hamilton is set to start from P6, putting him behind the other McLaren of Lando Norris. Reflecting on his own session, the seven-time World Champion explains:
"I think we did a good job with the set-up - the car was feeling pretty decent. It’s just we’re obviously lacking a lot of speed in the middle sector and a little bit in the last sector. Part of it is power and deployment, which is quite important here".
Pushed on whether he can fight the McLarens on race day at Suzuka and potentially chase a podium - having secured his first Grand Prix rostrum as a Ferrari driver last time out in China - Hamilton answers:
"I don’t know. I think they’ve really taken a step forward or two this weekend, so I think it’s going to be challenging but, if we can get them off the line, maybe we can hold them".
Max Verstappen admits that trying to tame his Red Bull car in Qualifying for the Japanese Grand Prix is again very difficult, having been eliminated in Q2.The Dutchman dominates at the Suzuka Circuit in recent years, taking pole position and the Grand Prix victory at the last four editions of the race.But the four-time World Champion starts only P11 for Sunday's 53-lap race, having failed to reach the final segment of Qualifying, missing out by nearly two-tenths to Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad.Verstappen is also beaten by Red Bull teammate Isack Hadjar and finds himself 1.2s behind the best time set by Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli.It continues a difficult start to the season for Verstappen, having failed to score points in either the China Sprint or Chinese Grand Prix last time out, which includes retiring in the latter due to a technical issue.The four-time World Champion also only qualifies as high as eighth this season, which comes in China, with a best result of sixth in the season opener:
"Yeah not good. We thought we fixed a little bit in FP3 but then going into Qualifying it was again very difficult. Just sliding a lot but also at the same time not having the rotation mid-corner everywhere, so that makes it quite a complicated balance. It's not ideal around here".
Verstappen is asked whether trying lots of different setups and car variations can possibly unlock a significant step forward - an approach Red Bull implements last season with gradual success. But Verstappen is quick to point out that this year’s car, under the new regulations, is proving to be a much bigger problem than its predecessor:
"Yeah but I think we have bigger problems that what we had last year. Some parts of the car at the moment are not working how we want them to work".
Unfortunately, this new phase of Formula 1 history was not born under a lucky star. Following an underwhelming start with numerous criticisms regarding the poor quality of overtaking during the first two Grands Prix, a large number of drivers at Suzuka complained about the lack of driving pleasure. To properly charge the battery, drivers are sometimes forced to lift off the throttle. Lando Norris commented at the end of qualifying:
"Well, comparing it to previous years, I certainly don't feel the same enjoyment driving here. It still hurts your heart to see your speed drop that much. The feeling is still special because you’re still on the limit despite being 56 km/h slower on the straight. But it’s not as thrilling as 2025, and I don't think any track ever will be. Better get used to it...".
Fernando Alonso:
"The challenge of Suzuka in qualifying has vanished. I told you in Bahrain that even the team chef could drive these cars; now I believe at least 50% of the team members could lap Suzuka. The high-speed corners have become battery charging stations—you go slow to recharge and have power for the straight. It doesn't require much driving skill anymore".
Carlos Sainz:
"The more I pushed, the slower I went. We drivers have made it clear that things must improve; I hope they listen to us and not the teams. I’m concerned that some teams will oppose changes to protect their own interests".
Charles Leclerc:
"Every time you go even slightly over the limit, every time there’s a small bump, it comes with a cost in terms of energy from the power unit side - and it’s not a small price, but triple the cost on the straight. Consistency pays off more than courage, which is a shame because qualifying is less challenging. If you try things in Q3 that you haven't tried before, the system has to re-optimize everything while you’re driving. I hope we find a solution as soon as possible".
Lewis Hamilton:
"In the first part of the lap, you’re on the limit, but from Turn 6 onwards, you can’t push anymore because you have to manage the battery. Not having maximum power for the entire lap is definitely one of the least enjoyable aspects".
Max Verstappen:
"I’m not frustrated; I’m beyond that. This isn't fun for me, and it isn't for the others either. When you’re away from home for 22 races, you need to do something you enjoy in life... This applies to all athletes: the primary way to give your best is to have fun. If you’re not having fun, you can’t give your maximum. The super-clipping at 130R? That says it all...".
Even Andrea Kimi Antonelli, despite taking pole position, admitted:
"Obviously, there are parts of the track where you are a bit limited, a bit constrained in your driving because of the energy. On these types of circuits, there is work to be done to find a solution that allows us to push more and drive without overthinking it".
How is Liberty Media reacting to all this? By censoring the onboard footage of Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s pole position lap. In the controversial section leading to the 130R and the short straight following it toward the Casio Triangle chicane, the onboard feed cuts away and is replaced by external camera shots. This is exactly where super-clipping kicks in - where drivers, despite keeping their foot pinned to the floor, decelerate and lose roughly 55 km/h in speed. Liberty Media justified the move stating:
"Unfortunately Kimi’s onboard camera had a technical issue part way through his lap, meaning we are unable to bring you the lap onboard in full".
However, the public noticed that on the official channel, F1TV, the full video - audio included - is actually available...
Following three practice sessions and an intriguing Qualifying at the Suzuka Circuit, the attentions of the paddock turn to race day for Round 3 of the season, the Japanese Grand Prix. After a different name sets the pace in each practice outing, it is Antonelli who comes out on top when the starting order for the grid is decided, the Italian beating team mate Russell by a margin of nearly three-tenths. Elsewhere, Piastri adds to his hopes of finally participating in a Grand Prix by taking third place, while one of the big stories is the exit of Verstappen in Q2, leaving the Dutchman down in P11. Amid a 10-minute delay to the start while barriers repairs are carried out owing to an incident in an earlier support race, all 22 drivers belatedly line up for the expected one-stop race in dry and mild conditions at Suzuka. When the tyre blankets are removed prior to the formation lap, it is revealed that all of the field starts on the medium tyres for the 53-lap Grand Prix - with the exception of Bottas, whose Cadillac is sporting the hard compound. As the lights go out at Suzuka, Piastri is the one to watch off the line, the McLaren man surges forwards to take the lead into Turn 1. Leclerc also enjoys a good launch to move up into second - but the Mercedes pair drop backwards, leaving Russell in fourth and Antonelli down in sixth. Norris climbs up to third with a move around the outside of Russell, while Hamilton is running in fifth - though that does not last long, Antonelli overtaking for P5 on the next lap. Elsewhere in the pack, Verstappen makes a move on team mate Hadjar to claim P9, leaving the Frenchman under pressure from Ocon behind. By Lap 3 Russell has picked off Norris for third place as the Mercedes recovery continues, with Antonelli subsequently hot on the tail of the World Champion. Meanwhile Russell gains another position one tour later by overtaking Leclerc, meaning that leader Piastri is next in his sights. Verstappen snatches eighth place from Lindblad, before the Racing Bulls rookie loses another place to Ocon.
Across the pack, the Audi pair have lost out - slipping back several positions from their starting positions of P9 and P13 - while Bottas is running at the very back, the sole driver on the hard tyres. With eight laps down, Russell is putting Piastri under increased pressure, having closed to just a few tenths back from the McLaren. The British driver initially takes the lead into the final corner - before Piastri retakes the position into Turn 1. Behind them, Norris is still keeping Antonelli at bay whilst also trying to find a way past Leclerc, the three locked in a thrilling battle. As Lap 10 ticks down, the rest of the top 10 consists of Hamilton in sixth from Gasly, Verstappen, Ocon and Lindblad, though Hadjar is less than half a second behind in 11th. After playing the waiting game, Antonelli finally makes a move on Norris during Lap 11 - in an overtake that looks very similar to Russell’s earlier attempt on Piastri. Leclerc is the next target and the Italian tries to find a way past a few laps later, only for the Monegasque to rebuff the effort. Just as Piastri discusses the possibility of pitting early with his race engineer, the McLaren pit crew emerge on Lap 17 - but the stop is for Norris, who returns to the track in P9 with the hard tyres on his MCL40. Others also start to follow suit, including Leclerc who dives into the pits after facing continued pressure from Antonelli, subsequently emerging ahead of Norris on track. Shortly afterwards it is time for Piastri to make his stop, the Australian coming back out in sixth with a set of hard tyres on. This leaves Russell and Antonelli out front, with neither having yet pitted.
"I think I'm going to lose a lot of race time extending".
Says Russell as Lap 20 ticks down, the Briton running around 20 seconds ahead of Piastri - who is making gains after overtaking Verstappen for P5. The Mercedes pit crew emerge for Russell on Lap 22, bringing him back out on track ahead of Verstappen in fifth - yet just a few moments later, a heavy crash for Bearman at Turn 13 brings out the Safety Car. The Haas driver is seen getting out of the car but looks to be limping, with the marshals coming to his aid. Meanwhile, Antonelli and Hamilton - running in first and second - subsequently make their pit stops, allowing the former to keep the lead while the latter emerges in fourth behind Piastri and Russell. The timing is causing some frustration for Russell, who complains about his lack of luck over the radio - prompting a response from Team Principal Toto Wolff, who encourages the Briton to see what you can do from here. With the race at nearly halfway distance and still running under the Safety Car, Antonelli leads from Piastri, Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc, Norris, Gasly, Verstappen, Lawson and Bortoleto, with everybody having made a pit stop.
Ahead of the Safety Car period coming to an end on Lap 27, Russell queries if Antonelli will go in the place we trained, his race engineer responding that they are not sure. The Italian executes a solid restart to hold a lead of over one second from Piastri - but it does not go so well for Russell, who loses a position to Hamilton. While Hamilton goes on the chase of Piastri, Russell remains close with Leclerc and Norris not far behind. Slightly adrift of that pack are a battling Gasly and Verstappen, the Alpine driver defending hard against the four-time World Champion.
"The car ahead keeps going off".
Hamilton radios in as he continues his pursuit of Piastri, while Stroll heads into the Aston Martin garage to retire the car. Elsewhere, positive news comes from Haas as the team confirms that Bearman has not suffered any fractures from his incident, though the Briton has suffered a right knee contusion in the 50G impact. With 35 laps down, Antonelli has extended his lead to nearly five seconds from Piastri, with Hamilton a further second back in third. Russell remains within touching distance of the Ferrari in fourth ahead of Leclerc, while Norris is a more distant sixth. Gasly is continuing to hold back Verstappen in seventh, with Lawson and Ocon rounding out the top 10. A few laps later, Russell appears to slow as Leclerc goes past the Mercedes - but the six-time race winner seems to pick up pace again, though remains in fifth as the Ferrari cars look to potentially be in an intra-team battle ahead as Leclerc closes to little over half a second from his team mate.
"We are losing a bit of time, for info".
Leclerc goes on to report before attempting a move on Hamilton, only for the seven-time World Champion to close the door. The Monegasque tries again on Lap 42 - and after some nail-bitingly close moments, Leclerc uses Overtake to get past into Turn 1. As Leclerc opens up a gap in third, Hamilton falls into the clutches of Russell, leading the Mercedes to sweep past on the main straight to claim P4. Amid Hamilton’s pace struggles, Norris has also caught up behind as he becomes the next to hunt down the Ferrari. A lock-up for Hamilton sees him run over the apex at Turn 16, leading the stewards to note the incident for allegedly leaving the track and gaining an advantage - just as Norris calls for the Ferrari man to give up the position. It is subsequently decided that there will be no further investigation. Up ahead, as the final laps tick down, Antonelli has stretched out his lead even further to 13 seconds, while Piastri is nearly two seconds clear of Leclerc. The Monegasque, however, has Russell all over the back of his car, while Norris overtakes Hamilton for fifth before the latter retakes the position moments later. Further back, Verstappen has found a way past Gasly - only for the Frenchman to also get back ahead. Meanwhile Russell makes a move on Leclerc for P3 with just two laps to spare, before Leclerc bravely goes around the outside at Turn 1 to grab the position back. There are no such concerns for Antonelli out front, who crosses the line with a more than 13-second advantage over Piastri to claim his second career victory - which in the process elevates him to the lead of the Drivers' Championship on 72 points, putting him nine points clear of Russell. Piastri records his first Grand Prix finish of the season in second, while Leclerc keeps Russell at bay to claim third. Russell has to settle for fourth ahead of Norris and Hamilton in fifth and sixth respectively, while Gasly manages to stay ahead of Verstappen in seventh - though only just, with the gap a mere three-tenths of a second at the line. Lawson adds to Racing Bulls’ tally in ninth, while Ocon claims his first points of the campaign in 10th. Kimi Antonelli believes it is still early days to think about the championship despite taking victory in the Japanese Grand Prix and becoming the youngest driver to lead the championship in Formula 1 history. The 19-year-old Italian makes it back-to-back wins on Sunday at the Suzuka Circuit following his success in China at the previous round, where he becomes the youngest Grand Prix winner in the process. Having claimed pole in Japan, Antonelli suffers a terrible start and drops as low as sixth on the opening lap before cycling back towards the front as McLaren and Ferrari pit their drivers. The crucial moment comes approaching the mid-point of the 53-lap race, Mercedes teammate George Russell pitting from the lead just as a Safety Car is deployed following a heavy crash for Ollie Bearman.
The caution allows new race leader Antonelli to make a pit stop and rejoin at the front of the field before romping to victory by nearly 14 seconds. With Russell struggling for performance and being forced to settle for fourth at the checkered flag, Antonelli now leads the standings for the first time by 9 points after the opening three Grands Prix of the season:
"It feels pretty good. Of course it's still early days to think about the Championship but we're in a good way. In the race, had a terrible start, just need to check what happened but then I was lucky with the Safety Car to be in the lead but then the pace was just incredible and was a really nice second stint. I felt very good with the car and very pleased with that. I think we were obviously very lucky with the Safety Car but on the medium we were really strong once I got some clean air and then on the hard the pace was just incredible. I don't know what would have happened, what the outcome would have been without the Safety Car but definitely made my life a lot easier".
With the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races not taking place in April, there is a gap until the next race in Miami with teams set to bring significant upgrades to the American race. Antonelli states his focus is on improving his starts, which are sub-optimal compared with Mercedes' rivals throughout 2026 so far. He says:
"Luckily I've got three weeks so now I can practice some clutch drops just to get a better feel with it because definitely it has been a weak point so far this year and we need to improve that because you can easily win or lose races with that".
Oscar Piastri is left with mixed emotions after securing his first podium finish of the season, questioning what could have been had he not lost out to winner Kimi Antonelli under Safety Car conditions in Japan. The Australian is the last of the grid’s 22 drivers to start a Grand Prix in 2026, having crashed out on a reconnaissance lap in Australia and later suffering an electrical issue that rules him out of the Chinese Grand Prix. He subsequently makes the most of the chance to have a clean weekend at the Suzuka Circuit and surges through from P3 to take the lead of the race on the opening lap. Despite significant pressure from Mercedes’ George Russell, Piastri manages to maintain the advantage until he boxes for fresh tyres. Just a few laps later, the Safety Car is deployed to recover the damaged Haas of Ollie Bearman, gifting Antonelli a quicker pit stop after he has improved back up the order. Piastri is unable to challenge for the lead again and ultimately settles for P2, which is nevertheless an achievement following his dire first two rounds:
"Turns out we're alright once we start. It would have been really interesting to see what would have happened without the Safety Car. I could keep George behind and just before the stops we were actually pulling away a little bit again. A shame that we never got to see what would have happened but I think for us at this point to be disappointed about finishing second is a pretty good place to be".
His best chance to reclaim first place on track comes at the restart, but the superior pace of the Mercedes sees him slowly fall further behind Antonelli, who eventually takes the checkered flag 13.722s ahead of Piastri. However, his impressive getaway at lights out and battle with Russell signify a major improvement for the Woking outfit and result in a solid haul of points, with Piastri's sixth place in the China Sprint being his only other score. Reflecting on the result, he says:
"Massive thanks to the team, I think we did a pretty good job of executing with what we had. Clearly we still need to find a bit of performance but we took every opportunity we had today".
George Russell is left to rue a frustrating Japanese Grand Prix, with the Briton feeling that his result probably is a race win had it not been for the Safety Car emerging only one lap after he makes a pit stop. After both Mercedes cars suffer a difficult start to the race and each drops positions, Russell works his way forwards again in the laps that follow, eventually going on to challenge McLaren’s Oscar Piastri for the lead. While his attempted overtake does not work out, the Briton remains in P2 before visiting the pits, bringing him back out on track in fifth place. But just moments later, a crash for Haas’ Ollie Bearman results in the Safety Car being deployed, meaning that teammate Kimi Antonelli - who is provisionally running in the lead, having not yet pitted - can make his stop and re-emerge in P1. The timing leaves Russell audibly frustrated over the team radio. From there onwards Antonelli builds a strong lead and takes his second consecutive victory, a result that also gives him the lead in the Drivers’ Championship. Russell, meanwhile, slips back to fourth at the restart after being overtaken by Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, before appearing to briefly slow shortly afterwards and losing another position to the other Scuderia car of Charles Leclerc. While both he and Leclerc later pass Hamilton, Russell’s attempts to snatch the final spot on the podium from Leclerc do not prove fruitful, leaving the Mercedes driver to cross the line in fourth place. Asked afterwards about the fact that nothing seems to go his way on race day at Suzuka, Russell concedes:
"No. If it had been one lap difference, then it probably would have been a race win. That’s frustrating".
The 28-year-old goes on to detail the multitude of things that go against him along with the timing of the Safety Car:
"Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. Obviously we both made bad starts - mine was slightly less bad; Safety Car timing; at the restart, I got a harvest limit which meant I couldn’t recharge my battery, similar to what’s happened with some drivers at the race starts. I had no battery to restart - Lewis passed me - and then I faced another battery problem when Charles passed me. As I said, one lap different and we’d be having probably a very different conversation".
Lando Norris believes that McLaren have plenty of good signs from their performance in Japan as they deliver their highest scoring round of the season so far. The outfit bounces back from their unlucky double DNS last time out in China to finish the weekend with both drivers in the top five, Oscar Piastri taking second place in his first Grand Prix start of the year while Norris winds up fifth. After a quick getaway sees the Briton improve from fifth to third, he struggles to defend against the faster Mercedes of George Russell, who recovers from a poor opening lap to find a way back past Norris and Charles Leclerc:
"It was a good start. I think the pace was good and I think we were decent. Clearly the Mercedes was still on another level, but we could have a nice race with the Ferraris. It was tricky for the first 15 laps to be quite swamped consistently by the Mercedes behind, which went on to win the race. The Ferraris around us are pretty similar on pace so it was a good fight at times".
Norris gradually becomes embroiled in a close battle with the second Ferrari of Lewis Hamilton, with the pair exchanging positions back and forth throughout the latter stint of the Japanese Grand Prix. He has no choice but to make the move stick after Hamilton is cleared of cutting the chicane to gain an advantage, and finally manages to pass him for good to take McLaren’s total points haul to 28. Looking back on the contest, Norris says:
"You had to push basically every single lap so that bit of it was good - the no degradation, and just to get Lewis at the end. I tried to save the tyres a little bit after the Safety Car restart just because I didn’t think much was going to happen for a while. It seemed to pay off - I got him with two laps to go so it was just in time. There are good signs. As soon as I had clean air, which I had on two laps of the whole race - the last lap and one lap in the middle - the car really came alive quite a bit more. I think in clean air the car was good. Good signs, just if I could’ve qualified higher, if I could’ve done more laps this weekend, things could have been more positive. Otherwise, a good result for the team".
The reigning World Champion is distinctly unlucky with technical challenges in the early part of the season - he can only complete minimal running in FP2 and FP3 while McLaren works to amend a suspected hydraulic issue and an Electrical Recovery System problem. Asked whether he feels the team has taken a step forward, he responds:
"It’s more that things were just better. We’ve not really made a step. We improved the engine side of things and maximised the power unit. It was also easier to do that around here, but from a car point of view, we’re still a long way off so I think that’s a good sign that we still finished second and fifth. The car is still a good challenge, so in a way that’s a positive thing, not a negative thing. It shows that if we improve things quite a bit more, or even just a bit more, we can be quick again. We can be very strong and more confident, so this weekend was a good sign for us".
Charles Leclerc believes we got a little unlucky during the Japanese Grand Prix due to an ill-timed Safety Car, with the Ferrari driver salvaging third place. Leclerc takes his second Grand Prix rostrum of the season in Sunday's 53-lap race at the Suzuka Circuit, having jumped both Mercedes drivers on the front row at the start from fourth on the grid. After losing a spot to Mercedes' George Russell in the opening laps, Leclerc makes an early pit stop to cover off McLaren's Lando Norris behind but finds himself fifth following a mid-race Safety Car. The caution allows teammate Lewis Hamilton and the second Mercedes of Kimi Antonelli to pit and rejoin in front, before overtakes on Russell and then Hamilton move Leclerc up to P3 at the checkered flag:
"It was a bit of a sweaty one this one. Obviously with the Safety Car we got a little unlucky so from that moment onwards I knew that I was a little bit on the back foot, especially compared to Kimi and Lewis. But then I was like, let's keep pushing, let's try and keep those tyres and bring them to the end and actually it wasn't that much of a disadvantage as I thought. The tyres were actually pretty good, the few laps that I had done wasn't so bad, it was just that we lost a few positions and then it was quite a fun race. Just not quite enough to get Oscar but it was a cool race. I'm quite pleased. Of course I'm not over the moon because it's only a P3 but considering everything, we've been quite unlucky with the Safety Car".
Teammate Hamilton moves briefly into P3 at the Safety Car restart after demoting Russell, but soon slumps to P6 behind Leclerc, Russell, and Norris, admitting he is not surprised after struggling for pace:
"Not surprised. I was struggling with power all race, so no, not particularly [surprised]. Need to go through it with a fine comb. Pretty terrible weekend in general to get a result like that. But there are some points there so we take them".
F1 has much to reflect on during this forced month-long break. The qualifying format does not work and instead damages the image of the sport; overtakes are often decided by batteries and, at Suzuka, are also dangerous, as the accident of Oliver Bearman demonstrates. Stefano Domenicali and Mohammed Ben Sulayem, heads of F1 and the FIA respectively, have another headache: his name is Max Verstappen. The Dutch superstar is in fact threatening to retire from competition:
"I need to understand exactly what I want for the future, and I am obviously referring to F1. I will think about it over the coming weeks and months. Life goes on, and it’s not just made of F1. There are many other things you can do. Does F1 want me to stay? Then it has to continue being fun".
The Dutch driver adds:
"Retiring at the end of the year? That’s what I’m saying; I’m thinking about everything happening in this paddock. On a private level, I am very happy. This year there are 22 races, usually there are 24. But then you ask yourself if it’s worth it. Or if I’d prefer to spend more time at home with my family. Or see my friends more when I’m not at the track. I can easily accept being 7th or 8th, where I am now. I also know you can’t always dominate or be on the podium every time. I’m very realistic about that and I’ve been through it before. I haven't only won in F1. But when you are 7th or 8th and you don’t appreciate the formula, and it doesn't feel natural for a driver… I try to adapt, but the way you have to race isn’t pleasant because it’s the opposite of how you should drive. Quite simply, it’s just not what I want to do anymore. Sure, you can travel the world and earn money. That’s great. But in the end, it’s no longer about the money, because we’re talking about what has always been my passion. I wanted to do this since I was a child. I want to be here in F1 to have fun, to have a good time, and enjoy life. And at the moment, that isn't the case. There are aspects I appreciate, like working with my team, which is a second family. But when I sit in the car, unfortunately, it’s not the most pleasant thing. I’m trying; I keep telling myself every day to enjoy what’s there. But it’s very difficult. I’m still trying to give 100% commitment and I keep telling myself that, but it doesn’t feel very healthy, because I’m not enjoying what I’m doing. People can easily accuse me of just complaining because the car isn’t good, but I see it differently. I have other projects I’m very passionate about, like GT3 racing. It’s not just about racing, but also being part of the team; it’s fun for me to build all of that and I intend to develop it further in the coming years. But even just talking about all of this is sad. It is what it is. You don’t need to feel sorry for me, I’ll be fine".
Among the interviews given after the Japanese Grand Prix, Lando Norris offered a particularly significant remark to Viaplay regarding Formula 1's new regulations and the potential rule changes that the FIA has expressed a willingness to implement starting from Miami. Norris appeared skeptical about the potential changes and bitterly explained:
"There’s no point in saying what I’d like to see changed. It doesn’t matter what we drivers say. As long as the fans are enjoying themselves, that’s what counts, right?"
The McLaren driver noted with heavy sarcasm. When the interviewer asked Norris if the drivers should also be having fun, Lando cut him short:
"Clearly not".
Speaking to the journalists, Norris then broadened his analysis to the race, which he finished in fifth place:
"Did I enjoy myself? You shouldn’t start with that question. Oscar and I had a great start, and it was good to find ourselves first and third. There are many positive signs from our side as a team, which allowed us to achieve such an important result, even knowing we still have many gaps to fill. Finishing second and fifth is a positive result and can give us a good boost to keep working".
Norris admitted a step forward regarding the Mercedes power unit:
"Obviously, we’ve gained something more both on the battery side and the engine side. Other things remain problematic; both Oscar and I have expressed the same complaints about the car and its difficulties. However, we know we are on the right track, and this is a great start".