The first free practice session (FP1) of the 2026 F1 Japanese Grand Prix was held at Suzuka Circuit.
The session took place in dry and sunny conditions.
Track temperatures gradually increased, but with little rubber laid down at the start, teams used the limited session time to focus on setup checks.
George Russell, who currently leads the drivers’ standings, set a 1:31.666 late in the session.
That lap moved him to the top of the timesheets, and it remained the fastest time of FP1.
■Key Points
- Russell finished fastest in FP1 as Mercedes locked out the top two
- Antonelli was just 0.026 seconds behind
- Albon and Perez collided late in the session, creating drama near the end
│ Result
| Pos | Team | Driver | Time (Gap) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | George Russell | 1:31.666 |
| 2 | | Kimi Antonelli | +0.026 |
| 3 |  | Lando Norris | +0.132 |
| 4 | | Oscar Piastri | +0.199 |
| 5 |  | Charles Leclerc | +0.289 |
| 6 | | Lewis Hamilton | +0.374 |
| 7 |  | Max Verstappen | +0.791 |
| 8 |  | Liam Lawson | +0.863 |
| 9 |  | Esteban Ocon | +0.935 |
| 10 | | Arvid Lindblad | +0.999 |
| 11 |  | Gabriel Bortoleto | +1.093 |
| 12 | | Nico Hülkenberg | +1.132 |
| 13 | | Isack Hadjar | +1.137 |
| 14 | | Oliver Bearman | +1.234 |
| 15 |  | Pierre Gasly | +1.312 |
| 16 | | Franco Colapinto | +1.695 |
| 17 |  | Carlos Sainz | +1.717 |
| 18 | | Alex Albon | +2.031 |
| 19 |  | Sergio Pérez | +2.555 |
| 20 | | Valtteri Bottas | +2.824 |
| 21 |  | Lance Stroll | +3.628 |
| 22 | | Jack Crawford | +4.696 |
│Session Review
The opening phase of the session was mainly focused on long runs using the hard compound.
Later in the session, teams switched to soft tyres for qualifying-style laps, and Mercedes stayed in control.
Fernando Alonso did not take part in FP1.
Jack Crawford drove in his place.
There was also an incident near the end of the session.
Alex Albon and Sergio Perez made contact, scattering debris onto the track.
Albon spun but was able to continue.
However, both teams were left needing to assess the extent of the damage to their cars.
Earlier in the session, Albon had also gone into the gravel.
That suggested Williams may still have work to do on car balance.
Overall, the gaps across the field were extremely tight.
Around the top 10, several drivers were separated by less than a tenth of a second, which suggests qualifying could be very closely contested.
Suzuka is a circuit where overtaking is traditionally difficult.
That means qualifying position is likely to play a major role in the race result.
Mercedes made the strongest start, but attention will now turn to whether Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull can close the gap.