Mercedes sets pace at Suzuka with Russell leading FP1 by over a quarter
In the opening practice session for Formula 1's Japanese Grand Prix, George Russell took pole position ahead of his team-mate Kimi Antonelli in what proved to be an impressive one-two finish on home soil. The Mercedes duo dominated early times at Suzuka with Russell edging out Antonelli by a margin of just over two hundredths of a second (0.026s). While the German driver secured top spot, McLaren also demonstrated significant promise during their own efforts in Practice One ahead of Saturday's main race action.
Key Points
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1George Russell set a new lap time of 1:31.666 seconds, taking pole position in first practice for Formula One's Japanese Grand Prix.
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2Mercedes established early dominance with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli finishing one-two ahead of McLaren driver Lando Norris who took third place by just over ten-hundredths of a second.
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3[McLaren drivers Alex Albon and Sergio Perez collided during the session at Suzuka, while Ferrari was noted as being outpaced in comparison to Mercedes' performance.
Developments
Perspectives
George Russell set a new pace for Formula 1, narrowly beating his Mercedes teammate Kimi Antonelli by just over two hundredths of a second to take top spot in first practice.
— [Mar 27, 04:59] George Russell heads the order (Formula One)Mercedes established clear control during opening sessions at Suzuka with both drivers leading and demonstrating strong performance compared to other teams like McLaren or Ferrari who showed promise but were not yet dominant.
— [Mar 27, 04:59] Mercedes sets tone in first training session (Rss.orf.at)Lando Norris finished third behind his teammate Kimi Antonelli and the reigning World Champion George Russell during this practice at Suzuka track Japan after two consecutive races.
— [Mar 27, 04:59] Race results show Mercedes dominance (Formula One)George Russell initially led practice times at Suzuka before Kimi Antonelli leapfrogged him for first place following an error by his teammate and a snap of under-steering. Lando Norris took third in this session as drivers tested new car configurations ahead of the Miami round, with several teams experiencing oversteer issues due to cold brakes or tire conditions.