Fans packed Suzuka from early morning on Friday. The weather held, the paddock buzzed with VIP guests, and on track, the picture that has defined the opening two rounds of 2026 became a little clearer. Mercedes are fast. McLaren are coming. And Aston Martin, for the first time this season, simply got through a day.
FIA Makes Emergency Regulation Change Before Qualifying
Before a wheel had turned in anger, the FIA announced an immediate adjustment to the energy regulations. With the agreement of all power unit manufacturers, the maximum energy recovery allowed during qualifying has been reduced from 9.0MJ to 8.0MJ. The aim is straightforward — to reduce dependency on energy management and allow driver skill and raw attack to show more clearly in the lap times. The FIA described the move as a normal part of the optimisation process under new regulations, and confirmed further adjustments remain possible in collaboration with the teams.
Tsunoda Speaks Candidly About Life as a Reserve Driver
Yuki Tsunoda was spotted relaxed and in good spirits in the Red Bull hospitality, chatting openly with team principal Laurent Mekies. Away from the car, Tsunoda addressed his situation with characteristic honesty. This is the first season of his career without a race seat — and he was clear that the decision was his own.
“It’s not that I can’t race. I could have, but I chose not to. I chose F1,” he said, adding that he has no regrets and remains positive. He acknowledged the frustration of watching through a screen, but framed it as something that has reconnected him with what drives him. “It made me realise how much F1 means to me.” A grounded perspective from a driver the paddock has not forgotten.
Honda’s Watanabe Speaks Honestly — and the Newey Question Gets Asked
HRC president Koji Watanabe took questions at the team principals’ press conference and did not shy away from the difficult ones. He identified two root causes behind Honda’s current struggles. First, the scale of the challenge posed by the completely overhauled 2026 power unit regulations. Second, and notably self-critical, the time lost following Honda’s withdrawal from F1 at the end of 2021 and the delay before the development programme properly restarted.
“There was a period when our F1 activity was very limited, and rebuilding the organisation took time,” he said.
Asked directly whether Honda can reach a competitive level with the current architecture during 2026 or whether the focus should shift entirely to a new design for 2027, Watanabe was measured. Dramatically improving performance within current regulations is difficult, he admitted. The priority is reliability first, then performance within the rules.
On Adrian Newey’s suggestion that he was unaware of the true state of Honda’s F1 project until November 2025, Watanabe attributed the misunderstanding to Honda’s internal job rotation system — engineers regularly move between motorsport and road car programmes. “Perhaps my explanation was not sufficient,” he said. “But the relationship between Aston Martin Aramco and Honda is very good. I have no concern about that at all.”
Haas Team Principal Komatsu on Bearman and Building the Right Foundations
Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu also spoke at the press conference, reflecting on the team’s strongest ever start to a Formula One season. His answer for how they have achieved it was simple — fundamentals.
“The basics are what matter. There were problems early on, but that is normal under new regulations. What counts is how you respond,” he said. On Oliver Bearman, who finished fifth in China, Komatsu was glowing. “Ollie is not just performing well — he is constantly improving. He handles pressure, he works constructively with the engineers, and he makes the whole team more positive.” High praise, and based on the evidence so far, entirely earned.
FP1: Mercedes Go 1-2 Again. Aston Martin Go Quietly Relieved.
George Russell and Kimi Antonelli filled the top two positions in FP1, continuing the pattern that has defined the opening rounds. McLaren followed, having resolved the issues that affected them in China, with Ferrari and Verstappen completing the top group. Red Bull are chasing. Cadillac and Aston Martin remain at the bottom of the timing sheet.
The significant detail for Aston Martin, however, was not the lap time. It was the lap count. Alonso completed 24 laps. Stroll completed 21. After two races and zero finishes, simply completing a Friday is progress.
FP2: Piastri Goes Fastest. Lindblad Misses the Session Entirely.
Oscar Piastri topped FP2, edging ahead of the Mercedes pair and underlining McLaren’s potential when the car is working as intended. Meanwhile, Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad missed the entire session after a gearbox issue on his out lap. He remained upbeat, noting the field is tightly packed from seventh to fifteenth within three tenths. “I think Q3 is a realistic target,” he said. “I believe we can get there if we do everything right.”
Aston Martin remain nearly four seconds off the pace of the session leader. The reliability picture is improving. The performance picture is not — yet.
Japanese GP Results: Free Practice 2
1. Oscar Piastri, McLaren, 1:30.133
2. Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes, 1:30.225 (+0.092)
3. George Russell, Mercedes, 1:30.338 (+0.205)
4. Lando Norris, McLaren, 1:30.649 (+0.516)
5. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 1:30.846 (+0.713)
6. Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, 1:30.980 (+0.847)
7. Nico Hulkenberg, Audi, 1:31.441 (+1.308)
8. Alex Albon, Williams, 1:31.496 (+1.363)
9. Oliver Bearman, Haas, 1:31.498 (+1.365)
10. Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 1:31.509 (+1.376)
11. Esteban Ocon, Haas, 1:31.532 (+1.399)
12. Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls, 1:31.590 (+1.457)
13. Carlos Sainz, Williams, 1:31.608 (+1.475)
14. Pierre Gasly, Alpine, 1:31.734 (+1.601)
15. Isack Hadjar, Red Bull, 1:31.759 (+1.626)
16. Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi, 1:31.933 (+1.8)
17. Franco Colapinto, Alpine, 1:32.438 (+2.305)
18. Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac, 1:32.615 (+2.482)
19. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin, 1:33.596 (+3.463)
20. Sergio Perez, Cadillac, 1:33.689 (+3.556)
21. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin, 1:33.951 (+3.818)
22. Arvid Lindblad, Racing Bulls, 0 (+0)
Read More
- F1 2026 Japanese Grand Prix: Everything That Happened on Thursday at Suzuka
- Senna at Suzuka, Typhoons & Championship Deciders — Mark Sutton Previews the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix
- Kimi Cried in Parc Fermé, the Hamilton Photo That Predicted Everything & China’s F1 Explosion
- George Russell Wins 2026 Australian Grand Prix as Mercedes Secure Dominant 1-2
