Oscar Piastri leads McLaren as Ferrari falters in FP2 at Japanese GP 2026
After a first practice session showing a relatively balanced field with Mercedes on top, the second free practice for the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka offered clearer insights into team performance, including both push laps and race simulation runs.
Session conditions and tire choices
The session took place in moderate conditions, with an air temperature of 17°C, track temperature of 33°C, 48% humidity, and a light wind of 2.2 m/s from the southeast. Pirelli supplied the teams with the C1 Hard, C2 Medium, and C3 Soft compounds for the session.
Ferrari stays cautious, McLaren surges
Technically, Ferrari continued the session without fitting the “Macarena” front wing, which remained in the garage and was apparently deemed unsuitable for detailed testing. The session began poorly for Lando Norris as his McLaren MCL40 stopped in the garage with the floor removed due to auxiliary hydraulic issues on the Mercedes power unit.
The track soon came alive. Lewis Hamilton was among the first to circulate on Medium C2 tires, while both Red Bulls used Hard tires. Mercedes drivers Kimi Antonelli and George Russell ran on Mediums. Early lap times were relatively high. Alex Albon’s Williams briefly stopped in Turn 1, requiring a quick electronic reset, but the yellow flag was removed immediately. After 20 minutes, Charles Leclerc took the lead with seven laps on Mediums, ahead of Piastri and Russell, while Norris and Sergio Perez remained in the garage.
Push laps and soft tire runs
Soft tires were introduced around the halfway mark of the session. Piastri was first to set a competitive lap with a 1:30.133, followed closely by Antonelli, just 92 thousandths behind. Norris ran an installation lap to check the garage adjustments. Charles Leclerc completed two launch laps before posting a time seven-tenths off the pace on his third attempt. Russell was P3, with Hamilton fifth, one second behind his teammate. Max Verstappen struggled, finishing tenth, 1.3 seconds adrift. Norris improved to P6 on Mediums, and Hamilton narrowed the gap to just over a tenth behind Leclerc.
Race simulation and pace analysis
With 25 minutes remaining, Piastri began his race simulation on Mediums, followed by other teams. Lando Norris attempted a push lap to recover lost time, securing P4. Mercedes continued to impress with a very consistent long-run pace, slightly faster than rivals. Piastri’s McLaren also performed well, although showing a small drop-off after about ten laps.
Ferrari appeared as the third force: the SF-26 struggled with quick changes of direction through the Snake section and felt tentative over the curbs of the final chicane. Lewis Hamilton reported “snap” at the rear, indicating setup work is still required. Red Bull was the most challenged, with the RB22 performing poorly, particularly through medium-speed sections, and revealing significant weaknesses at the Spoon corner.
FP2 top 22 results
- 1. Oscar Piastri
- 2. Andrea Kimi Antonelli
- 3. George Russell
- 4. Lando Norris
- 5. Charles Leclerc
- 6. Lewis Hamilton
- 7. Nico Hulkenberg
- 8. Alex Albon
- 9. Oliver Bearman
- 10. Max Verstappen
- 11. Esteban Ocon
- 12. Liam Lawson
- 13. Carlos Sainz
- 14. Pierre Gasly
- 15. Isack Hadjar
- 16. Franco Colapinto
- 17. Valtteri Bottas
- 18. Fernando Alonso
- 19. Sergio Perez
- 20. Lance Stroll
- 21. Arvid Lindblad
- 22. Gabriel Bortoleto
Key takeaways
McLaren’s pace at Suzuka is notable, with Piastri showing both speed and consistency. Ferrari needs further setup work to extract full potential from the SF-26 on the technical sections of Suzuka, while Mercedes maintains strong long-run performance. Red Bull faces challenges, particularly in medium-speed corners, making Suzuka a crucial weekend for setup optimization and strategic adjustments ahead of qualifying and race day.
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