Max P7 in first free practice in Japan

Published on 27 March 2026 by Misha van der Kroon

Max Verstappen finished seventh in the first free practice session in Japan. At the challenging 5.807-kilometre Suzuka circuit, George Russell set the fastest time in his Mercedes, followed by team-mate Kimi Antonelli in P2. Lando Norris put his McLaren in P3, with Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc completing the top five. Max’s Oracle Red Bull Racing team-mate, Isack Hadjar, recorded the thirteenth time.

When the lights at the end of the pit lane turn green, it is Nico Hülkenberg who is first out on track. That is not immediately the case for team-mate Gabriel Bortoleto, who struggles to get his Audi moving. At Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso sits out the session, with reserve driver Jak Crawford taking his place for FP1. Tyre supplier Pirelli has brought the three hardest compounds this weekend, as Suzuka is particularly demanding on tyres.

After ten minutes, Russell leads the way in the Mercedes, ahead of Piastri’s McLaren, Leclerc’s Ferrari and Max in the Red Bull. McLaren is once again dealing with issues on Norris’ car, with the Brit having only completed an installation lap so far. Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon have also only logged a single lap at that stage.

With just over half an hour remaining, Norris returns to the track, and his issues seem to be resolved. Max is in the pits and drops back to P8, with Hadjar, Arvid Lindblad and Liam Lawson occupying positions five to seven. Mercedes sends both drivers out on the soft tyres, resulting in P1 and P2 for Russell and Antonelli respectively.

At the halfway point of the session, Max moves up to P5 on a set of softs, though he is nearly eight tenths slower than Antonelli in P1. Shortly after, Hadjar slots in behind Max in P6, four tenths behind the four-time World Champion.

Albon has a moment in Turn 9 but can fortunately continue. The British-Thai driver runs off track, makes contact with the tyre barriers and returns to the pits for inspection of his Williams.

With around fifteen minutes to go, the true pecking order begins to emerge on the timing screens: both Mercedes cars lead the way ahead of the Ferraris and McLarens, followed by Max in the Red Bull.

In the closing stages, Max appears to be focusing on a race simulation, while Sergio Perez is involved in a minor incident with Albon in the chicane. The two make contact, with the Mexican stating he had no idea the Williams was alongside him. Meanwhile, McLaren continue to work on Norris’ car, suggesting the reigning World Champion’s issues are not yet fully resolved. That brings the first free practice session in Japan to a close.

Results first free practice Japan: