Overview
- - In Friday practice at Suzuka, Mercedes swept FP1 with George Russell ahead of Kimi Antonelli before McLaren’s Oscar Piastri set the fastest time in FP2.
- - McLaren said a Mercedes High Performance Powertrains electrical fault caused its Chinese Grand Prix non-starts, and Lando Norris then lost FP2 time to a hydraulic leak yet still placed fourth.
- - Red Bull continued to struggle despite new bodywork, with Max Verstappen seventh in FP1 and only 10th in FP2 as team figures described the car’s balance and grip as a serious problem.
- - The FIA cut the maximum hybrid energy teams can draw in qualifying to keep laps focused on driver pace rather than battery management, a tweak aimed at the 2026 power units that split output roughly 50–50 between electric and combustion power.
- - Stewards reviewed several practice incidents, including Alex Albon’s collision with Sergio Perez at the final chicane in FP1, with outcomes pending.