Piastri leads McLaren 1-2 in Japanese GP practice, Verstappen struggles

Oscar Piastri topped the timesheets in second practice for the Japanese Grand Prix, leading a McLaren 1-2 as Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli and George Russell slotted into third and fourth. The session highlighted a resurgent McLaren and a surprisingly difficult Friday for reigning champion Max Verstappen, who languished in 10th place amid complaints about his car's handling.

Why it matters:

After two difficult weekends to start the 2026 season, Piastri's pace signals a potential breakthrough for both the driver and McLaren. Meanwhile, Verstappen's significant struggles with a car exhibiting "unreal understeer" and gearshift issues suggest Red Bull could be in for a challenging weekend at a circuit where they have traditionally been strong, potentially opening the door for others at the front.

The details:

• Piastri's Perfect Lap: The Australian set the benchmark time of 1:30.133 on his first qualifying simulation run on the Soft (C3) compound tyre, a lap that ultimately remained unbeaten.
• Mercedes Close Behind: Rookie Kimi Antonelli was the closest challenger, just 0.092 seconds adrift in the lead Mercedes. Teammate George Russell, who led the early running, finished third, 0.205s off the pace.
• Norris's Recovery: World Champion Lando Norris secured fourth for McLaren despite a disrupted session. A hydraulics leak cost him most of the first half-hour, forcing him into a compressed run plan which he executed to end up just over half a second behind his teammate.
• Ferrari's Consistent Pace: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton finished fifth and sixth, replicating their positions from the first practice session and indicating a stable, if not headline-grabbing, baseline for the Scuderia.
• Verstappen's Troubles: The four-time champion was vocal over the radio, complaining of severe understeer and issues with both upshifts and downshifts. His time was over 1.3 seconds slower than Piastri's, with teammate Isack Hadjar also unhappy in 15th.
• Session Casualty: Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad failed to set a time after returning to the garage early with a gearbox issue.

What's next:

The practice times set a fascinating stage for the rest of the weekend. McLaren appears to be a genuine threat for pole position, while Mercedes and Ferrari look closely matched in the next group. All eyes will be on Red Bull to see if they can solve the fundamental balance issues plaguing Verstappen's car overnight. If not, Saturday's qualifying session at the high-speed Suzuka circuit could produce a surprising and mixed-up grid.