McLarens Norris and Piastri Anticipate Close Contest with Mercedes at Suzuka

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, the dynamic duo from McLaren, are gearing up for a fierce battle this weekend at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka. After securing victories in Australia and China respectively, they are the favorites to claim victory in Japan. Their dominance was evident during Friday’s practice sessions, with Norris leading FP1 and Piastri heading a challenging FP2 marred by four red flags.

McLaren at the Top, but Mercedes Impress with Pace

Although Norris maintains that McLaren is still at the top, he was impressed by George Russell’s speed in the first practice session. Russell’s best lap was a mere 0.163 seconds behind the , indicating that Mercedes could pose a significant threat. Russell’s rookie teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli struggled to set a representative lap, but showed promising pace on long run performance.

I still think we’re at the top, but George was very quick this morning, just as quick as us,” Norris said. “So, I think Mercedes are in a good place. Maybe Red Bull looked a bit further off, but they have looked further off in qualifying and then they get a bit closer again.

FP2 – A Messy Session, FP1 Offers Better Insight

FP2 was a disorganized session, making it difficult to gauge everyone’s position. However, Norris believes that FP1 might have provided a clearer picture of the teams’ order. “The tiniest bit of wind can really upset the car quite a lot,” he added. “I’m sure everyone is struggling with a similar thing.

Piastri concurred, stating, “It’s really hard to know [the pecking order]. In FP1 it was difficult to get pace out of the car. In FP2 I was much more comfortable, but I think Mercedes looked very quick as well.” He expressed confidence in their pace for the rest of the weekend, but acknowledged that they still need to stay alert.

McLaren Lead Constructors’ Standings after Two Weekends

McLaren currently leads the constructors’ standings after the opening two weekends of the 2025 season and is 21 points ahead of second-placed Mercedes. With such a tight race expected, it promises to be an exciting weekend in Suzuka!