Red Bull F1 team principal Laurent Mekies admitted his squad is "very far" from the frontrunners in Japan after crippling balance issues have left his drivers off the pace.
Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar ended the day in 10th and 15th respectively, over 1.3 seconds off the front, after Red Bull struggled to dial in the balance of its RB22.
"We are very far, lacking quite a lot of performance," he told Sky Germany. "I think you can also hear it with the comments of our drivers. We have been unable so far to give them a car they could push with. So, we have quite a few fundamental things to sort out on our side.
"Of course, you don't want to have to go through this problem-solving, but I think it's part of the game and we just need to get to the bottom of our limitation as soon as possible and make the steps we need to make."
Laurent Mekies, Red Bull Racing Team Principal
Laurent Mekies, Red Bull Racing Team Principal
Mekies said Red Bull's problems go much further than its balance issues through medium-to-high-speed corners, including Suzuka's famed Esses in sector one, where its cars looked unsettled.
"It looks particularly bad in the high-speed corners. I don't think it's only a balance issue," the Frenchman explained. "I think there are probably some aspects of the car that we haven't unlocked well or that we haven't understood quite yet. It's the work we have to do now in the next few hours, in the next few days and probably in the next few weeks to get back to the level we want to be.
"It is clear that when you speak with Max, when you speak with Isack; they don't have a car they can push with. How much of that can we recover for tomorrow? Let's see. It's difficult to know right now whether what we are missing is within the car balance or whether there are things a bit more fundamental that we will need to correct."
Mercedes AMG Formula 1 driver, George Russell, is vibing in Japan in Fast & Furious: Tokyo Drift style ahead of this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka. Russell was filmed doing the Han pose in the parking lot, sporting Adidas’ Y-3 merchandise alongside the AMG GT 63.
F1 has been embracing Japan’s car culture on social media as it announces its presence for this weekend. That can’t be done without bringing up Tokyo Drift, a movie that shed light on Japan’s tuning and drift culture.
Han Lue, a character played by Sung Kang in the movie, was a laid-back, cool-headed mentor who introduced Sean Boswell to Japan’s drifting scene. His calm attitude and cool collection of customized cars, including the iconic orange Mazda RX-7, attracted a new fan base.
One of his signature poses is leaning on the car, which goes over well with fans, and has come to be known as the “Han Pose”. Russell brought out his inner Han by practicing the pose in front of a Mercedes AMG GT for social media content. Our verdict is that he did pretty well in pulling it off.
Russell has had a great start to the 2026 F1 season after winning the opening round in Australia and finishing in P2 in China. Mercedes’ efforts in developing the W17 F1 car are evident, given the edge the car has over other immediate contenders such as Ferrari’s SF-26, which fails to keep up as the laps go by.
Oct 19, 2025; Austin, TX, USA; Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team driver George Russell (63) of Team Great Britain at the driversÕ parade at Circuit of The Americas Austin. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images
Despite a strong start to the season, Russell has stated that the early dominance cannot be taken for granted as rival teams work on improving their cars. He leads the Drivers’ Standings by four points over teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, but doesn’t rule out competition. Speaking to Formula 1, he said:
“I think right now as Mercedes we have a small advantage over Ferrari and a good advantage over everyone else but these things change so quickly.
“We saw in the press about Red Bull being a bit overweight, so they can probably improve that quite quickly. McLaren still haven’t brought any updates to the car and they have a Mercedes engine in the back so we want to make the most of it while we do have this advantage.
“We’re not taking anything for granted because the competition is so fierce and we’re sure that Red Bull, McLaren and Ferrari will keep pushing us. [It is] too early to even think about the Championship.”
Formula 1 stewards were busy after opening practice for this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix as Friday's FP1 saw three separate incidents be investigated afterwards.
One was between world champions Hamilton and Verstappen, where the Red Bull driver was on a fast lap and caught off guard by the Ferrari’s last-minute swerve before 130R inside the final five minutes.
Hamilton was therefore under investigation for Article B1.8.5 of the sporting regulations, which states that “at no time may an F1 car be driven unnecessarily slowly, erratically or in a manner which could be deemed potentially dangerous”.
But stewards found that Hamilton “had been given no warning” by Ferrari that Verstappen was approaching and that he still remained predominantly to the right ahead of the fast, left-handed bend.
It was also deemed that the four-time world champion managed to overtake his former title rival without having to lift off the throttle or leave the racing line, despite the significant speed differential.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Verstappen also told stewards that he didn’t consider it to be a dangerous situation, so race control opted for consistency with a No Further Action striking comparison to Shanghai last time out.
Another incident under investigation in Suzuka was one between Albon and Perez, after the Williams driver attempted an unsuccessful lunge down the inside of the Turn 16 chicane.
Albon went straight into the side of the Cadillac, which was forced to cut the second part of the chicane while the Thai-Briton went into a spin before claiming “I don’t know if he saw me”.
Perez, who was on an out-lap, confirmed this as he revealed his virtual mirror was not working and he had not received any warning from Cadillac about Albon’s approach.
The American outfit simply thought that Albon would hold position, not noticing how quickly he gained, but the Williams driver thought Perez was letting him by due to his initial wide line.
Alexander Albon, Williams, Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing crash
Alexander Albon, Williams, Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing crash
So it was all a bit of a misunderstanding from both sides, who were shocked by the closing speed, with Albon and Perez accepting neither driver was “wholly or predominantly to blame”.
Albon’s team-mate Sainz was also summoned to stewards afterwards for his incident with Racing Bulls man Lawson, who has a history with the Spaniard following their collision at the 2025 Dutch GP.
Like Hamilton and Verstappen, this was also in regards to Article B1.8.5 of the sporting regulations as Sainz was traveling slowly ahead of Lawson at the Turn 11 exit.
It came after Sainz had passed him after Turn 9, but then slowed considerably through Turns 10 and 11, claiming that was because Williams told him of Jak Crawford approaching on a push lap.
So the grand prix winner slowed to ensure that he wouldn’t impede Aston Martin’s FP1 stand-in, which was confirmed by team radio as Crawford eventually passed both cars.
That was despite initial assumptions that Sainz had simply slowed down as an angry reaction to going off and abandoning his push lap when trying to overtake Lawson - but that was not the case.
Formula 1 drivers are used to grueling travel schedules, but Fernando Alonso just took this to an entirely new level. The two-time World Champion skipped Thursday’s media day and Friday’s Free Practice 1 at the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix for the best reason possible: the birth of his first child.
A Jet-Lagged Return to the Grid
On Wednesday, March 25, Alonso and his partner, sports journalist Melissa Jimenez, welcomed a baby into the world. Naturally, the 44-year-old Aston Martin driver stayed in Europe to be with his family, forcing him to push back his arrival in Suzuka. Reserve driver Jak Crawford took the wheel of the AMR26 for FP1.
But Alonso wasn’t about to miss the entire race weekend. He jumped on a plane, skipped a full night of sleep, and landed in Japan on Friday morning just in time to suit up for Free Practice 2.
In an interview with DAZN (translated by AI) shortly after getting out of the car, Alonso looked understandably exhausted but boasted a smile that reached from ear to ear.
“Good, a little bit of jet lag because I only landed this morning,” Alonso said when asked how he was feeling. “We’ve done FP2 now, and in a few hours [I need] to sleep, as I skipped the European night, let’s say”.
When asked about the whirlwind week and the stress of becoming a father, he added:
“Everything comes as it comes… well, with a bit of stress, worry that everything would go well. It went well fortunately, both the mom and the baby, and… very happy, a super happy moment, very special. And now, straight to work”.
Unfortunately for the new dad, getting back to work means wrestling with one of the most physically punishing cars on the 2026 grid.
Aston Martin has had a nightmarish start to the season. The AMR26 is currently plagued by severe power unit vibration issues. The violent movements are so bad that Alonso actually had to retire the car at the previous race in China because his hands and feet were going numb.
Despite flying halfway across the world with zero sleep, Alonso managed to get through FP2. However, the performance of the Aston Martin is still miles off the pace. He finished the session down in 19th place, over 3.4 seconds behind the leading McLaren of Oscar Piastri. Even with new upgrades brought to Japan, including changes to the front wing and floor, Alonso admitted the car still felt “a bit of the same”.
Oscar Piastri halted Mercedes dominance by pipping Kimi Antonelli to top second practice for the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.
The McLaren driver set a 1m30.133s which was 0.092s quicker than Antonelli, whose Mercedes team-mate George Russell completed the top three after dominating opening practice.
That occurred right from his opening lap as he displaced erstwhile leader Russell within the opening 10 minutes, setting a 1m31.495s that was 0.073s quicker than the Mercedes on mediums.
Although it didn’t exactly stick – with Piastri, Antonelli and Charles Leclerc trading fastest times during the early runs – the Australian asserted his control when the soft-tyre laps began.
It was with Piastri’s first tour on the red-stripped rubber that he set the fastest lap of the session, a 1m30.133s after 23 minutes which put him a second quicker than his times on the medium.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
But Antonelli’s fastest time also came with his first lap on the soft; the window of qualifying-sim runs was quite short in FP2 as drivers returned to mediums towards the end.
The Italian, who scored his maiden grand prix win last time out in China, set a 1m30.225s that put him 0.113s faster than Russell, who is the only other race winner in 2026.
Piastri’s team-mate Lando Norris then took fourth in what was a rather troublesome session for the reigning world champion, who skipped the opening 23 minutes.
That was due to a hydraulics leak on the McLaren, and although he completed a sighting lap before halfway, Norris didn’t actually set a true time until the latter half of the session.
His first time put him sixth on the mediums before he fitted softs towards the end, while everybody else was on yellow rubber, and set a 1m30.649s in what was a strong FP2 for McLaren.
That was very much needed after a slow start to its title defence, which included a double DNS in Shanghai, adding to Piastri also failing to start the Melbourne opener where Norris came fifth.
Lando Norris, McLaren
Lando Norris, McLaren
Norris finished FP2 0.516s off his team-mate, while Leclerc completed the top five for Ferrari, which was the closest challenger to Mercedes across the opening two rounds of the new regulation era.
Leclerc set a 1m30,846s, seven tenths behind Piastri, with his team-mate Lewis Hamilton claiming sixth after he took his maiden podium for Ferrari last time out.
Hamilton was rarely a threat in second practice as he struggled to get near the top of the times, the seven-time world champion finishing the session 0.847s behind Piastri.
The top 10 was respectively completed by Alex Albon, Oliver Bearman and Max Verstappen, who again struggled with his RB22, reporting “my understeer is unreal”.
His team-mate Isack Hadjar also struggled by finishing 15th, in what was generally a trouble-free session with the only yellow flag occurring briefly due to Albon.
That happened early on when he stopped his Williams just past the Turn 1 apex with throttle trouble, though he quickly got going again with green-flag running remaining until the end.
Arvid Lindblad was the only driver who failed to set a lap, as the Racing Bulls rookie left his garage early on but then a gearbox issue quickly emerged, causing an early retirement.
Aston Martin Formula 1 ambassador Pedro de la Rosa has stated Adrian Newey’s team principal job “will remain unchanged” and Jonathan Wheatley isn’t joining the squad “for the time being”.
Aston released a statement 15 minutes after Audi announced Wheatley’s exit, reaffirming Newey’s role within the team and insisting: “We are regularly approached by senior executives of other teams who wish to join Aston Martin Aramco, but in keeping with our policy, we do not comment on rumour and speculation.”
One week later, on Friday at the Japanese Grand Prix, de la Rosa was speaking to Sky Sports F1 and was unsurprisingly asked about the hot topic.
“Is the key here to helping Adrian focus on what he's fantastic at – we all know he's the best in the business – and bringing in someone like Jonathan as a team principal?” presenter Natalie Pinkham inquired.
“Well, at the moment, we remain... Our structure is...” de la Rosa stammered. “We're happy with what we have, you know? And how we have organised the team. And Adrian being the team principal, but he's more than a team principal, he's actually a managing technical partner. So, that's going to remain the same.
Pedro de la Rosa, Aston Martin F1 Team
Pedro de la Rosa, Aston Martin F1 Team
“I mean, Jonathan has left. I mean, we really shouldn't comment on things that are happening. We don't know why he has left. We don't know, you know, the situation, really. We all know. And the only thing we know, really, is that we have a team principal, and it's Adrian Newey, you know? And that will remain unchanged, you know?
“We have to believe in our structure and not change it anymore.” Aston has already have four different team principals in its five-year history under this name.
Pressed on whether Wheatley was coming to Aston, de la Rosa replied: “Well, not for the time being, you know? I mean, it's just... We shouldn't comment on rumours and speculation. Because we have to be respectful as well for what Jonathan wants to do in the future.”
Aston has endured a tough start to the season, with its new works Honda engine generating vibrations which damage batteries and spark driver health concerns. As a consequence, the AMR26 is yet to be classified at the end of a grand prix.
De la Rosa praised the team for its ‘transparency’, even though Honda has so far refused to give any insight into how many spare batteries it had at its disposal, with Aston’s chief trackside officer Mike Krack rhetorically asking what the point was.
“You have to face the public, the people,” the Spaniard insisted. “When things go right and when things go wrong, you also have to be here and explain.
“And it is very important to actually be very transparent, to explain the things in a proper way, because the people want to understand why we are so slow. We are not happy, but they need to know as well that we are fighting and that we are not happy at all.
“There's no time for being frustrated or disappointed, you know. We just have to work hard, harder than anyone else, but also with a very good strategy.”
Photos from Japanese GP - Friday
George Russell, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes
Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
Kym Illman / Getty Images
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
Kym Illman / Getty Images
George Russell, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes
Jayce Illman / Getty Images
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Andy Hone/ LAT Images via Getty Images
Fans line up near closed shops as they wait for a bus to the race track.
Fans line up near closed shops as they wait for a bus to the race track.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images
Jacques Villeneuve arrives in the paddock.
Jacques Villeneuve arrives in the paddock.
Clive Mason / Getty Images
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Artur Widak / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Artur Widak / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Paul Aron before first practice.
Paul Aron before first practice.
Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Paul Aron before first practice.
Paul Aron before first practice.
Jakub Porzycki / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Fans line up near closed shops as they wait for a bus to the race track.
Fans line up near closed shops as they wait for a bus to the race track.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images
Franco Colapinto, Alpine, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Franco Colapinto, Alpine, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Clive Mason / Getty Images
Franco Colapinto, Alpine, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Franco Colapinto, Alpine, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Clive Mason / Getty Images
James Vowles, Williams
James Vowles, Williams
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin Racing
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Frederik Vesti, Mercedes, walks in the paddock with his bicycle.
Frederik Vesti, Mercedes, walks in the paddock with his bicycle.
Kym Illman / Getty Images
Alpine Technical Detail
Alpine Technical Detail
Getty Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Jayce Illman / Getty Images
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Jayce Illman / Getty Images
A huge crowd of fans gathered at the stage.
A huge crowd of fans gathered at the stage.
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Ferrari Technical Detail
Ferrari Technical Detail
Getty Images
Fans line up near closed shops as they wait for a bus to the race track.
Fans line up near closed shops as they wait for a bus to the race track.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images
Fans line up near closed shops as they wait for a bus to the race track.
Fans line up near closed shops as they wait for a bus to the race track.
Andrew Caballero-Reynolds / AFP via Getty Images
Jak Crawford, Aston Martin F1 Team, arrives in the paddock.
Jak Crawford, Aston Martin F1 Team, arrives in the paddock.
Clive Mason / Getty Images
Jak Crawford, Aston Martin F1 Team, arrives in the paddock.
Jak Crawford, Aston Martin F1 Team, arrives in the paddock.
Clive Mason / Getty Images
Aston Martin Technical Detail
Aston Martin Technical Detail
Getty Images
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Clive Mason / Getty Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Jayce Illman / Getty Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Jayce Illman / Getty Images
Haas Technical Detail
Haas Technical Detail
Getty Images
George Russell, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes
Jayce Illman / Getty Images
George Russell, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes
Jayce Illman / Getty Images
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team, Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Championship leader George Russell has topped Formula 1's first free practice session at Suzuka's Japanese Grand Prix, pipping Mercedes team-mate Kimi Antonelli by a tiny margin.
With Russell and Antonelli having divided the first two grands prix wins between themselves, Mercedes' early-season dominance showing little signs of slowing down at the third event of the 2026 era.
Russell led the early running at F1's iconic Suzuka circuit on hard tyres (1m32.429s), initially followed by McLaren's Oscar Piastri and Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. And when the frontrunners switched to Pirelli's softest compound Russell and Antonelli further cemented their spot at the top of the order.
Around 25 minutes into the session, Russell first improved to a 1m31.755s ahead of Antonelli's 1m32.032s. The Italian, F1's second-youngest race winner courtesy of his Shanghai exploits a fortnight ago, then sped to a 1m31.692s to lead at the halfway mark.
After going wide at Spoon, Russell swiftly regained the lead on his following lap with a 1m31.666s effort on softs, beating Antonelli by just 0.026s with what would turn out to be the fastest time of the morning.
World champion Lando Norris had a slower start to practice, having a rake fitted to his car to conduct some aerodynamic testing. But Norris synced up with his peers later on to take third, just 0.132s in arrears.
Piastri also had a strong showing for McLaren, getting to within 0.199s of Russell as the Woking squad aims to bounce back from a double non-start in China due to two separate battery issues.
Leclerc and fellow Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton conceded around three tenths to Mercedes as they occupied fifth and sixth respectively, comfortably ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen.
Lawson was a strong eighth for Racing Bulls in its one-off white and cherry red Japanese livery, with Haas' Esteban Ocon and Lawson's rookie team-mate Arvid Lindblad rounding out the top 10.
Alexander Albon, Williams
Alexander Albon, Williams
The session occurred without major incidents, although there was a scare at struggling Williams when Alex Albon went off at Degner while trying to catch a snap of oversteer. Albon careened through the gravel and couldn't avoid a hefty hit with the barriers with his left-rear corner as he sampled the team's tweaked suspension.
Albon's car appeared to be fine to return to the session later on, but the Anglo-Thai driver was then involved in contact with Cadillac's Sergio Perez at the chicane, with Albon carving up his front wing against the side of the Mexican driver's car following what appeared to be a miscommunication. Perez had already drawn the ire of Russell earlier on for impeding the Mercedes driver.
Speaking of troubled teams, at Aston Martin reserve driver Jak Crawford took over Fernando Alonso's car for his first rookie FP1 outing of the year, the American driver completing just 11 laps with the Honda-powered car as he propped up the timesheet. Team-mate Lance Stroll was up ahead in 21st, 3.6 seconds off the pace as Aston Martin and Honda attempted to balance chasing performance with managing significant reliability concerns with their power unit package.
Lewis Hamilton believes Formula 1’s new regulations have delivered “what racing should be” so far in 2026 – a very different stance to Max Verstappen’s.
Verstappen has been perhaps F1’s most vocal critic this year, likening the energy management aspect to “Formula E on steroids” as lift-and-coast becomes preponderant.
“It’s terrible, if someone likes this, then you really don't know what racing is about,” the Red Bull driver said at the Chinese Grand Prix. “It’s not fun at all. It’s playing Mario Kart. This is not racing.
“You are boosting past, then you run out of battery the next straight, they boost past you again. For me, it's just a joke.”
Hamilton suggested Verstappen was struggling to appreciate the new regulations due to Red Bull dropping down the pecking order and insisted the ‘yo-yo’ style of racing that has been on display so far – with many more overtakes, including numerous lead changes – was far more enjoyable.
“If you go back to karting, it's the same thing,” the Ferrari driver argued. “People are going back and forth, back and forth, you can never pull away. No one ever has ever referred to go-karting as yo-yo racing. It's the best form of racing.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
“And Formula 1 has not been the best form of racing in a long, long time. Out of all the cars that I've driven in 20 years, this is the only car that you can actually follow through high-speed [corners] and not completely lose everything that you have. You can stay behind.
“We had the DRS before, which I think was a bit of a band-aid for that issue that you can't get close enough through the corners. Now we have the power difference [Overtake Mode], but it's so small, the power difference.
“But when you get ahead and the car behind can keep up with you, I personally find it much more fun because that's the most overtaking and best battle I've had maybe since Bahrain, years and years ago with Nico,” he added, referring to a now legendary battle for victory in the 2014 Bahrain Grand Prix with Mercedes team-mate and title rival Nico Rosberg.
“That's how racing should be. It should be back and forth, back and forth. It shouldn't be like one move is done and that's it.
“So I personally like that sort of racing. We just need all the rest of the teams to close up so we have more of those battles amongst the teams."
Hamilton did clarify that he didn’t actually love every aspect of the 2026 rules.
“It's definitely a lot different,” he commented. “I think a lot of the drivers are not enjoying it, but I don't really know. I'm just personally enjoying it. It's a lighter car. It's a bit more nimble, a bit more bizarre, more fun to drive.
“Do I love the power of deployment? Absolutely not. I'm actually really disappointed. Do I love the SM [straight mode with active aero]? Not particularly. But as a whole, I think it's exciting for the sport.”
Going into this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, Suzuka was expected to be a suboptimal track in terms of energy management, so the FIA has reduced the maximum energy recharge for qualifying – meaning there will be less of an incentive for the likes of super clipping, which is early energy harvesting by the MGU-K.
“Coming into the weekend, we were going to have to do a ton of lift-and-coast which is really, really not enjoyable to do for a qualifying lap. So we've changed that,” Hamilton commented.
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Additionally, active aerodynamics’ straight mode will be used in just two sections, which might play in Ferrari’s favour, according to the seven-time world champion: “Maybe that's a positive for us, because every time Mercedes open up their SM, they get away. So maybe there's less chance for them to do that here – maybe. I don't know. And maybe we can keep up with them more through the high-speed section, potentially.”
Regardless, Hamilton hopes the 2026 event will do justice to Suzuka, where the racing has often been more professional than on most other tracks, on a layout featuring many high-speed corners and few straights.
“This has always been one of the favourite driver circuits, but not necessarily great racing, because there's a struggle to [overtake],” he said. “So I'm hoping it changes that and really highlights just how incredible this circuit is to drive. And if we have racing on top of that, then it will be the best track in the world.”
Formula 1 has announced a multi-year partnership renewal with leading sim racing hardware company, Fanatec, ahead of the F1 Sim Racing World Championship 2026.
The extended partnership will result in the addition of Fanatec simulators at all F1 grand prix events within the Fan Zones, as well as a new generation of officially licensed F1 products, including advanced steering wheels.
For teams, the partnership will see all F1 Sim Racing teams and drivers across the 2026 season provided with the professional-grade simulators.
"Fanatec has helped elevate the competitive standard of our F1 Sim Racing ecosystem, and this extension is an exciting step forward in our long and successful relationship," Emily Prazer, chief commercial officer at F1, said.
"This state-of-the-art hardware brings fans and racers even closer to the technology used in Formula 1, giving our audience a more authentic and accessible way to experience the sport.
"With Fanatec supporting the F1 Sim Racing World Championship and powering fan experiences at all our grands prix, we’re strengthening the connection between virtual and real-world racing and opening up even more opportunities for fans to engage with our sport."
SI202503270004
Thi La, CORSAIR CEO, said: "Sim racing has become a vital part of the wider motorsport culture, and Formula 1 has been instrumental in that progression. The Fanatec and F1 partnership means we can keep raising standards for competitive play and fan engagement, bringing officially licensed F1 products to more players and more events around the world."
The F1 Sim Racing Championship will begin at DreamHack, Birmingham, from 27-29 March. The remainder of the 12-round calendar will take place in F1's Media and Technology Centre at Biggin Hill.
Photos from Japanese GP - Thursday
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Alex Bierens de Haan / Getty Images
Mercedes W17 front wing
Mercedes W17 front wing
Kym Illman / Getty Images
Fans
Fans
Alex Bierens de Haan / Getty Images
A team member of Aston Martin F1 Team poses for a photo with fans
A team member of Aston Martin F1 Team poses for a photo with fans
Alastair Staley / LAT Images via Getty Images
Mattia Binotto, Audi F1 Team
Mattia Binotto, Audi F1 Team
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Alexander Albon, Williams, Carlos Sainz, Williams
Alexander Albon, Williams, Carlos Sainz, Williams
Jayce Illman / Getty Images
Track detail
Track detail
Steven Tee / LAT Images via Getty Images
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Images
Mercedes W17
Mercedes W17
Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lars Baron / Getty Images
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Jayce Illman / Getty Images
Fans
Fans
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Lando Norris, McLaren, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Lando Norris, McLaren, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images
Fan of Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Fan of Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Alex Bierens de Haan / Getty Images
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Carlos Sainz, Williams
Kym Illman / Getty Images
Fan detail
Fan detail
Alex Bierens de Haan / Getty Images
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Kym Illman / Getty Images
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing
Lars Baron / Getty Images
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Sam Bagnall / Sutton Images via Getty Images
Front wing of Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Front wing of Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Marcel van Dorst / EYE4images / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Alexander Albon, Williams
Alexander Albon, Williams
Clive Mason / Getty Images
Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine, Franco Colapinto, Alpine
Clive Mason / Getty Images
Godzilla in the Haas F1 garage
Godzilla in the Haas F1 garage
Mark Sutton / Formula 1 via Getty Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Alex Bierens de Haan / Getty Images
Graeme Lowdon, Cadillac F1 Team Team Principal
Graeme Lowdon, Cadillac F1 Team Team Principal
Clive Mason / Getty Images
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
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Fans
Fans
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Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
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Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
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Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls
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Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing
Valtteri Bottas, Cadillac Racing
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
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Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team, Oliver Bearman, Haas F1 Team
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Fans
Fans
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Nico Hülkenberg, Audi F1 Team, Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
Nico Hülkenberg, Audi F1 Team, Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
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Jenson Button, Aston Martin F1 Team Ambassador
Jenson Button, Aston Martin F1 Team Ambassador
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Fans
Fans
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Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari
Frederic Vasseur, Ferrari
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Front wing of Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
Front wing of Gabriel Bortoleto, Audi F1 Team
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Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
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Pierre Gasly, Alpine
Pierre Gasly, Alpine
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Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
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Alexander Albon, Williams
Alexander Albon, Williams
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Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
Esteban Ocon, Haas F1 Team
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Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing
Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing
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Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lando Norris, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Mercedes' peculiar straight mode activation of its front wing, which caught the attention of some of its Formula 1 rivals, was the result of a reliability issue rather than a deliberate exploit, Motorsport.com has learned.
Mercedes caught the eye of its rivals at the Chinese Grand Prix when footage emerged of maiden race winner Kimi Antonelli as his front wing appeared to close in two separate stages at the end of the straight. This raised various theories about whether or not the Brackley team was doing something sinister to gain an advantage.
Teams can only have two different front and rear wing positions between corner mode and straight mode, and as per the FIA regulations there is a 400-millisecond window to transition from one mode to the other.
Antonelli's wing appeared to change stance twice, falling outside of the window, with it understood that one unnamed F1 team raised a question about the issue to the FIA. Mercedes' main 2026 rival Ferrari denied being behind the query.
But on Thursday morning, Motorsport.com learned that the phenomenon was the result of a reliability issue, presumably related to a lack of hydraulic pressure, to revert the wing to its upwards position.
It is understood the FIA has accepted the Mercedes team's explanation, and its willingness to remedy the issue as soon as possible suggested to the governing body that the team was seeing the front wing problem as a performance drain rather than a benefit, as it upsets the car's aero balance an additional time before entering a braking zone.
A fortnight ago, the reigning world champions suffered a disastrous Sunday in Shanghai when Norris was unable to get to the starting grid, with the team scrambling to fix what was described as an electronics issue on the power unit side. Soon after, Piastri suffered a similar looking issue while already on the grid, with the Australian's car having to be wheeled back as both drivers failed to start the grand prix.
After the race, team boss Andrea Stella said it was "quite exceptional" that McLaren suffered "two terminal problems pretty much at the same time on the same component, which in this case is on the electrical side of the power unit."
Following further investigation by McLaren's power unit provider Mercedes HPP, both Norris and Piastri were struck by battery issues of a different nature.
Motorsport.com understands Norris' battery was plagued by a software problem that bricked the battery and made it unusable, and it is believed the unit is permanently damaged and removed from Norris' component pool.
Piastri was instead understood to be struck by a hardware issue with an auxiliary component connecting the battery, and there is some optimism the Australian's battery can continue to be used after fixing the individual part.
Lando Norris, McLaren
Lando Norris, McLaren
Norris' battery failure could have lingering side-effects further down the road for the world champion if he suffers more battery-related reliability issues, having now lost one of his three batteries for the year. Drivers are usually allowed to use just two batteries, or energy stores per season, although they are exceptionally allowed an additional example of each power unit component in 2026 to help ease teams into the all-new regulations.
"Of course, it hurt us as a team," Norris said on Thursday in Suzuka ahead of this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix. "It certainly didn't make us look good to have two cars not starting a race. I think what hurt more is the fact it was out of our control.
"But with HPP, we've worked hard to figure things out, to understand how it happened, why it happened. And of course, we'll do everything we can to make sure it doesn't happen again. But you live and you learn.
"It was a tough one for all of us. None of us want to have a weekend like that and especially start a Sunday like that. So yeah, it hurt a lot. But I think at the same time, a good time for us to learn and step back and move on to this weekend."
During Formula 1 qualifying at the iconic Suzuka Circuit, drivers will now only be allowed to harvest eight megajoules of energy, whereas that limit had initially been set at nine megajoules. The FIA has cut the rate of harvesting in an attempt to reduce the amount of super clipping at a track that, like Melbourne, is described as ‘harvesting poor’ in the paddock.
In Albert Park, that led to painful onboard footage heading into Turns 9 and 10, even on George Russell’s pole lap. Drivers were super clipping well ahead of the braking zone, a state in which they can recharge energy while remaining flat out. This made the speed profiles unnatural and took away part of the challenge for drivers. Even in Shanghai, Charles Leclerc and Oscar Piastri, among others, said they were effectively being penalised the more risks they tried to take.
In a meeting after the Chinese Grand Prix, the consensus among F1 teams was that the races themselves are entertaining and do not require a ‘knee-jerk reaction’, but that qualifying is an area that could be improved. Qualifying, after all, should remain a challenge for drivers, meaning lift-and-coast and super clipping over a flying lap should be reduced.
The initial outcome of the meeting was that nothing would change for Japan and that qualifying would only be revisited ahead of the Miami Grand Prix. However, the FIA has now gone back on that position with a statement issued on Thursday – the media day in Suzuka.
“Following discussions between the FIA, F1 teams and power unit manufacturers, a minor adjustment to the energy management parameters for qualifying at the Japanese GP has been agreed with the unanimous support of all power unit manufacturers,” the governing body said.
“To ensure that the intended balance between energy deployment and driver performance is maintained, the maximum permitted energy recharge for qualifying this weekend has been reduced from 9.0 MJ to 8.0 MJ. This adjustment reflects feedback from drivers and teams, who have emphasised the importance of maintaining qualifying as a performance challenge.”
Normally, the FIA is required to inform teams four weeks in advance of such a change, but this situation is different. Following the post-China discussions, the FIA’s technical department looked at the simulations for Suzuka one more time. Those showed that teams would have to rely more on super clipping than initially expected, making an earlier intervention desirable.
The Suzuka Circuit is said to be ‘harvesting poor’
Teams and power unit manufacturers were informed on Tuesday about the FIA’s idea to reduce the energy recharge during qualifying in Suzuka, with the governing body stressing that it would only implement such a change if all teams and manufacturers agreed.
Nothing changes for the race on Sunday, with the FIA once again stressing that it considers the overall product to be in a relatively good place for now.
“The FIA notes that the first events under the 2026 regulations have been operationally successful, and this targeted refinement is part of the normal process of optimisation as the new regulatory framework is further validated in real-world conditions.
“The FIA, together with F1 teams and power unit manufacturers, continues to embrace evolutions to energy management, with further discussions scheduled in the coming weeks.”
Formula 1 is set for the final instalment of its short, early season leg in Asia this weekend as the Japanese Grand Prix will host round three of the 2026 campaign.
This follows the season-opening Australian and Chinese grands prix, which were both won by Mercedes - clearly dominating the latest regulation switch so far.
Whether that superiority continues this weekend remains to be seen, but there are also lots of talking points throughout the grid following the first two rounds.
Is Kimi Antonelli a genuine threat to George Russell?
George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
George Russell, Mercedes, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
When Mercedes came out of the blocks firing during pre-season testing, George Russell instantly became the heavy favourite for the 2026 F1 title and with good reason. The 28-year-old is now in his eighth season, so has built up a lot of experience. And, if the Silver Arrows do dominate, Russell’s biggest competition would be his teenage team-mate Kimi Antonelli, entering year two in F1.
So by all metrics, Russell should have the better of his stablemate and he backed that up at the Melbourne opener by dominating the Australian Grand Prix from pole in a Mercedes 1-2. But then the script flipped in Shanghai with Antonelli claiming his maiden victory in another 1-2, and it was impressive how the Italian calmly managed everything from the front, streaking clear of the competition.
The only question now is whether he can deliver on a consistent basis and actually challenge Russell for the championship. There are no question marks over the Briton, who clearly showed that he’s ready for a title charge last season, it’s just whether or not Antonelli is ready himself.
Suzuka will be a good place to find out if he has improved on the inconsistency he showed as a rookie, or if in fact, Russell does still have supreme dominance over his team-mate and will likely romp towards his first crown.
How strong will Ferrari’s challenge to Mercedes be?
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, George Russell, Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, George Russell, Mercedes
Although Mercedes claimed a 1-2 in both grands prix this year, it didn’t come without a threat from its nearest challenger Ferrari. Charles Leclerc took the lead at the start of the Australian GP as Russell was slow off the line and the two engaged in an early to-and-fro before the Scuderia failing to pit under a VSC resigned it to third and fourth.
Then in Shanghai, Lewis Hamilton replicated Leclerc’s efforts, though dropped back within five laps and Antonelli was left unchallenged. So, the opportunities have been there for Ferrari and if it is to actually make a genuine attempt at winning the title, it needs to make the most of them and fast, otherwise Mercedes will just streak clear.
That begins at Suzuka, where the flowing, medium-to-high speed corners should actually favour the SF-26, which has impressed with its cornering speed. It means there might finally be a genuine multi-team battle for pole, though achieving that this weekend is probably of less importance than in previous years due to how these nimbler cars have caused ‘yo-yo’ style racing with overtakes in places never seen before.
So even if Ferrari beats the Silver Arrows to pole, holding it off on Sunday is another matter as that Mercedes engine is highly efficient with its energy and it isn’t exactly easy to harvest battery power at Suzuka.
Third time lucky for Oscar Piastri?
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
Oscar Piastri, McLaren
The early season dominance from Mercedes and Ferrari shows it’s not been a great start to the title defence from McLaren, which has crashed back down to earth so far in 2026. The Woking outfit is third in the standings with 18 points - 80 behind Mercedes - eight of which came in the Shanghai sprint as it’s only had one car start a grand prix.
That was Lando Norris in Melbourne with the reigning world champion finishing fifth, as the opener saw his team-mate Oscar Piastri crash out on the reconnaissance lap. The Aussie failed to start again a week later as part of a double DNS for McLaren; an electrical problem ruled Norris out of the Chinese GP, while Piastri’s MCL40 simply failed to fire up.
So hopefully, Piastri will finally get to start a grand prix this weekend and if he does, it’ll come with a base expectation of squabbling Norris for fifth in the order as McLaren is comfortably third in the standings. That means the Woking outfit needs to take any positives it can at the moment, and that is especially true for Piastri after the way in which he lost the 2025 title.
It feels like a lifetime ago that he actually had a successful weekend, arguably Zandvoort in August, so this is a rot he needs to stop and show whether or not he has improved upon last year and can once again be a match for his team-mate.
Same problems to persist for Red Bull and Max Verstappen?
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
“The whole weekend we’ve been off,” said Max Verstappen. “The car is completely undriveable. I cannot even put a bit of a reference in. Every lap is like survival.”
Those were the words of the four-time world champion amid a disastrous Shanghai weekend for Red Bull, which until then had enjoyed a relatively positive start to 2026 showing signs of challenging McLaren.
But then reality struck in China, as the Austrian outfit suffered a double non-points finish in the sprint before claiming four measly points via Isack Hadjar on Sunday, as Verstappen retired after a sudden loss of power.
The problems were all over in Shanghai, but there is one that keeps cropping up, and that is race starts. The procedure under the 2026 rules is now more complex, as the removal of the MGU-H means drivers must rev their engines high for at least 10 seconds to spool up the turbo for a smooth getaway.
But both Red Bull drivers are yet to enjoy a good start this year, as they’ve suffered from a lack of battery power for lights out leading to Verstappen losing a combined six spots on lap one this year. So that’s obviously a big problem which needs fixing, otherwise achieving fourth in the standings might not be easy as it seems.
How will Audi cope after Jonathan Wheatley's exit?
Jonathan Wheatley, Audi F1 Team
Jonathan Wheatley, Audi F1 Team
Everything was looking rosy at Audi. The German marque is making its F1 debut this year and was competitive from the off with Q3 and points for Gabriel Bortoleto in Melbourne, before his team-mate Nico Hulkenberg qualified and finished 11th a week later. So although there were no points in China, the pace was still there.
It has therefore shown signs of fighting the likes of Haas, Alpine and Racing Bulls at the front of the midfield with the Audi power unit being particularly impressive, especially as it is its debut and the German outfit hasn’t got customer teams to collect data from.
But the squad has since hit a bump: Jonathan Wheatley announced his resignation as team principal with his former boss Mattia Binotto assuming the role. Wheatley only joined at the beginning of last year, when it was known as Sauber, but was instrumental in turning around the operational side of the team allowing it to go from just four points in 2024 to 70 in ‘25 - which included a podium for Hulkenberg at Silverstone.
What Wheatley also represented was a settled management structure, something the team was previously lacking, and had Audi going in the right places, but his shock exit now threatens to undo all of that terrific progress. It does feel like the German marque is back to square one, so there’ll be questions about it this weekend and it’ll be interesting to see how Binotto copes.
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