Lando Norris leads the first session of the Japanese Grand Prix

Lando Norris set the fastest time in the opening session of the Japanese Grand Prix with an impressive 1:28.549. George Russell followed closely behind, just +0.163 seconds behind, while Charles Leclerc rounded out the top three.

Photo: Mclaren

For this weekend, the McLarens are once again in strong form, both in single-lap speed, as demonstrated by Norris's time, and in race pace. In full-tank simulations, the Briton and George Russell were the fastest, lapping in the low minute and 33 seconds. 

On the other hand, Mercedes continues to show great consistency at the start of the season. George Russell set good times from the start of the session, while Antonelli is already looking more solid, making fewer mistakes. However, we mustn't forget that Suzuka is one of the most technically demanding circuits, which led several drivers to make mistakes. On a track like this, the slightest mistake can have significant consequences.

As for Ferrari, despite a difficult start to the season, they showed good pace and remain in the fight. Another session in which we saw a clearly uncomfortable Max Verstappen in his car. Although he wasn't far from the top, the four time world champion wasn't finding his usual comfort level in his car and reported several issues throughout the session.

On the other hand, Red Bull along with Yuki Tsunoda appears to have made the right decision to change drivers. In his first session with the team, Tsunoda finished just 0.017 seconds behind Verstappen, demonstrating maturity in radio conversations and providing invaluable technical feedback for the team. With this, it could be said that, although the car remains difficult to drive, perhaps the problem wasn't exclusively with the car.

It's important to highlight the excellent performance of Isack Hadjar, who, driving the Racing Bulls, finished just 0.053 seconds behind the two Red Bulls. The young driver, who had a rather difficult first race in Formula 1, has recovered and is demonstrating great strength and improved performance.

Another driver who showed solid pace was Fernando Alonso, who managed to break into the top 10 in the session, confirming the competitiveness of the Aston Martin at Suzuka. Also noteworthy is the performance of Carlos Sainz, who has had a difficult start to the season and had been far behind his teammate Alex Albon. However, in this session, he managed to close the gap, showing positive signs of recovery.

In the case of Alpine, Haas, and Sauber, they remain at the back of the grid, failing to find the performance necessary to fight higher up the field. So far, none of the three teams has managed to make a step forward in terms of competitiveness.

For this session, Alpine only had Pierre Gasly among its main drivers, as Jack Doohan's car was driven by Japanese reserve driver Ryo Hirakawa, who had the opportunity to drive at his home circuit.

Top 5

Lando Norris

George Russell

Charles Leclerc

Lewis Hamilton

Max Verstappen