F1 Results Today: Japanese Grand Prix practice times and positions

Lando Norris, McLaren, Bahrain, 2026 — Photo: © IMAGO

Formula 1

F1 Results Today: Mercedes roar back as McLaren suffer yet more technical issues

All the times from Japanese Grand Prix practice

Originally written by Chris Deeley. This version is a translation.

Saturday 28 March 2026 04:58

Mercedes reminded the F1 grid that they're still 2026's dominant team early on Saturday at the Japanese Grand Prix.

The championship leaders looked eminently catchable on Friday for the first two sessions of practice, before rolling their sleeves up on Saturday to fly nearly a second clear at the top of the field.

Times at the very top of the boards were a touch faster than in FP2 on Friday afternoon at Suzuka, with teams making sure they optimise their single-lap pace for qualifying as well as their long-run speed.

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One team who struggled to do that was McLaren – specifically on Lando Norris' car, which didn't come out of the garage until there were 25 minutes left in the session due to a battery issue. That comes off the back of an apparent hydraulic leak keeping the reigning champion from starting FP2 on time the previous day...and of course, after the team's disastrous double-DNS last time out in Shanghai.

Oscar Piastri, meanwhile, was the second fastest non-Mercedes car in the session, a full second behind Kimi Antonelli but barely a tenth off the back of the lead Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.

Japanese Grand Prix FP3 times

Japanese Grand Prix Practice Results
Position	Driver	Team	Time
1	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:29.362
2	George Russell	Mercedes	+0.254s
3	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.867s
4	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+1.002s
5	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+1.021s
6	Lando Norris	McLaren	+1.238s
7	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+1.296s
8	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	+1.548s
9	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.638s
10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+1.720s
11	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull	+1.732s
12	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+1.735s
13	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+1.926s
14	Esteban Ocon	Haas	+1.964s
15	Oliver Bearman	Haas	+2.196s
16	Alex Albon	Williams	+2.371s
17	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+2.397s
18	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+2.467s
19	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+3.141s
20	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+3.178s
21	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+4.123s
22	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+4.167s

Japanese Grand Prix FP2 times

Japanese Grand Prix Practice Results
Position	Driver	Team	Time
1	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:30.133
2	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.092s
3	George Russell	Mercedes	+0.205s
4	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.516s
5	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.713s
6	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.847s
7	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+1.308s
8	Alex Albon	Williams	+1.363s
9	Oliver Bearman	Haas	+1.365s
10	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	+1.376s
11	Esteban Ocon	Haas	+1.399s
12	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+1.457s
13	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+1.475s
14	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+1.601s
15	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull	+1.626s
16	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.800s
17	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+2.305s
18	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+2.482s
19	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	+3.463s
20	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+3.556s
21	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+3.818s
22	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	NO TIME

Japanese Grand Prix FP1 times

Japanese Grand Prix Practice Results
Position	Driver	Team	Time
1	George Russell	Mercedes	1:31.666
2	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	+0.026s
3	Lando Norris	McLaren	+0.132s
4	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	+0.199s
5	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	+0.289s
6	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	+0.374s
7	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	+0.791s
8	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	+0.863s
9	Esteban Ocon	Haas	+0.935s
10	Arvid Lindblad	Racing Bulls	+0.999s
11	Gabriel Bortoleto	Audi	+1.093s
12	Nico Hulkenberg	Audi	+1.132s
13	Isack Hadjar	Red Bull	+1.137s
14	Oliver Bearman	Haas	+1.234s
15	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	+1.312s
16	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	+1.695s
17	Carlos Sainz	Williams	+1.717s
18	Alex Albon	Williams	+2.031s
19	Sergio Perez	Cadillac	+2.555s
20	Valtteri Bottas	Cadillac	+2.824s
21	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	+3.628s
22	Jak Crawford	Aston Martin	+4.696s