It was a turbulent day at Suzuka as Oscar Piastri emerged as the frontrunner in a practice session plagued by frequent disruptions.
- The session began with Jack Doohan’s high-speed crash, bringing it to an immediate halt and delaying proceedings significantly.
- Fernando Alonso’s off-track excursion into gravel further compounded the delays, albeit briefly.
- Unusual grass fires, sparked by car-generated heat, led to two more red flags, limiting effective track time to a mere twenty minutes.
- Despite the chaos, Piastri dominated the field, securing the fastest lap of the session.
The much-anticipated practice session at Suzuka got off to a rocky start with an immediate red flag due to Jack Doohan’s high-speed incident at Turn 1. Spectators held their breath as Doohan, after hitting the barriers hard, exited his vehicle cautiously with medical staff on standby. He was unharmed but needed precautionary checks.
As the session resumed, yet another red flag interrupted the action, this time courtesy of Fernando Alonso. The seasoned driver found himself stranded in the gravel, leading to a short pause that nonetheless chipped away at valuable practice time. Unscathed, Alonso’s stint was more of a blow to his ego than his car.
In a turn of events as rare as they are dramatic, the session was twice more interrupted by fires on the grassy perimeter of the track. These fires, apparently ignited by the sparks from the cars, further shrank the window available for setting competitive lap times.
Amidst the interruptions, Oscar Piastri showcased his skills by clocking the fastest lap at 1:28.1. He managed to outpace his teammate Lando Norris, who closely followed with a slight gap of 0.049 seconds. Isack Hadjar also made a notable impression, securing the third fastest time under the Racing Bulls banner.
Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda struggled to carry over his strong performance from the first practice, finishing in the 18th spot as he adjusted to his new role with Red Bull. Highlighting the challenges faced by drivers was the minimal track time—roughly twenty minutes—limiting opportunities for fine-tuning and performance runs.
Amidst the chaos at Suzuka, Oscar Piastri’s impeccable timing and skill prevailed, marking him as the standout performer of the session.
