Oscar Piastri pulled off a stunning performance by dominating the second free practice session in Japan. A performance that completely relaunches McLaren in the hierarchy.
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Oscar Piastri created a surprise during FP2 of the Japanese Grand Prix by taking the top of the timing sheet, ahead of the two Mercedes drivers. The Australian set a lap in 1:30.133, ahead of Kimi Antonelli by 0.092 seconds, while George Russell completes the top 3 by just over two tenths.
In a season start largely dominated by Mercedes, this performance changes everything. McLaren, previously trailing, finally seems capable of competing on a single lap. This surge in performance could well reshuffle the cards this weekend at Suzuka.
Behind, Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc complete the top 5, confirming a tight hierarchy between the three leading teams. It should be noted, however, that Norris was heavily hampered early in the session, which makes his performance even more interesting.
A disrupted session for several drivers
The session was not smooth for several teams. Fernando Alonso was making his return to track after missing media obligations and FP1, in a particular personal context. The Spaniard quickly got up to speed, even being the only one to start on soft tires.
For his part, Norris had to wait more than 25 minutes before leaving the pits, due to a hydraulic problem on his McLaren. Similar complicated scenario for Sergio Pérez and Gabriel Bortoleto, delayed by technical issues.
The session was also marked by several incidents: Alex Albon came to a stop on track before mysteriously restarting, while a gearbox problem forced Arvid Lindblad to retire prematurely.
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The tire game reshuffles positions
Before the qualifying simulations, it was Leclerc who led the way on medium tires with a time of 1:31.019. But as often happens, everything came down to the switch to soft tires.
That’s when Piastri struck hard, relegating the competition behind him with a perfectly executed lap. Behind, Antonelli and Russell answered the call, confirming Mercedes’ solidity, while Lewis Hamilton remained more in the background, nearly eight tenths back.
The end of the session then focused on long runs, with little change in the standings. Norris, however, managed a nice comeback at the very end of the session thanks to a final run on soft tires.
Verstappen struggling, McLaren in ambush
More concerning, Max Verstappen could do no better than tenth, more than 1.3 seconds off the best time. Hindered during his hot lap, notably by Franco Colapinto, the Dutchman never seemed in a position to compete.
This second session confirms a strong trend: Mercedes remains the benchmark, but McLaren is clearly back in the fight. If this momentum continues into qualifying, the battle for pole position could be much more open than expected at Suzuka.
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FP2 standings for the 2026 Japanese GP F1:
