McLaren sees FP2 pace as outlier, expects usual leaders to reassert in Japan

McLaren enjoyed a morale-boosting Friday at the Japanese Grand Prix with Oscar Piastri topping FP2, but the team's leadership immediately tempered expectations, stating the underlying competitive order remains unchanged. Racing Director Randy Singh acknowledged the headline result was positive but cautioned that Mercedes and Ferrari are still expected to lead the way when it matters in qualifying and the race.

Why it matters:

For a team with McLaren's championship-winning pedigree, any sign of top pace is a psychological boost. However, their public downplaying of the result underscores a critical phase in their development: they are focused on sustainable, long-term progress rather than fleeting practice session glory. This realistic assessment sets clear expectations and highlights the significant gap that still exists to the current front-runners.

The details:

• Oscar Piastri led a McLaren 1-2 in the second practice session, providing a visible high point for the team.
• Teammate Lando Norris faced challenges, running a compromised session due to a hydraulic leak that the team could not fully repair in time.
• Despite the issue, the team managed to extract valuable data from Norris's running.
• Racing Director Randy Singh drew a direct parallel to Friday performance in Australia, where promising pace did not translate to a shift in the competitive hierarchy.
• Singh explicitly stated the "pecking order generally looks pretty much the same," indicating Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes still hold an advantage.
• He confirmed the team has made progress in understanding its 2026-spec power unit but has brought no car upgrades to Suzuka this weekend.

What's next:

McLaren's leadership has clearly framed the FP2 result as an outlier. The real test comes in qualifying and on race day.

• The team expects Mercedes and Ferrari to re-establish themselves as the fastest teams once competitive sessions begin.
• McLaren's immediate goal will be to optimize its package, ensure reliability, and fight for the best possible positions behind the anticipated top three teams.
• The focus remains on continued development and learning, with the hope that future upgrades will eventually close the gap to the leaders.