Piastri sets the pace amid disrupted FP2 in Japan

Dominika Jordan
Apr 4, 2025, 09:18 PM ET

Piastri tops disrupted FP2 at Japan GP, with red flags and crashes affecting Doohan and Alonso.

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Oscar Piastri emerged as the fastest driver in a disrupted Free Practice 2 session at the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday, a day marked by several red flags and a heavy crash for Alpine’s Jack Doohan.

Lando Norris had earlier set the fastest time in FP1 during a session that also saw local hero Yuki Tsunoda make his debut for Red Bull. As the drivers returned to the track for the second hour of practice at 1500 local time under sunny skies at Suzuka Circuit, they were met with a day full of action and interruptions.

Doohan, who had handed over his Alpine to Ryo Hirakawa during FP1, was among the first to get out on track. However, less than 10 minutes into the session, the Australian suffered a high-speed crash at Turn 1, bringing out the first red flag of FP2. Although Doohan reported that he was uninjured, his incident left significant debris and damage to the barriers, necessitating an extensive recovery operation by the marshals.

Once the session resumed at 1530 local time, with only 30 minutes remaining, the pit lane saw a queue of cars eager to get back on track after losing nearly 20 minutes from their practice programmes. This resulted in a mix of run plans, with drivers like Tsunoda and Lance Stroll opting for soft tires, while others stuck with hard or medium compounds.

The action was quickly disrupted again as Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin came to a halt at Turn 8 after the Spaniard went wide, dipping a wheel on the grass. Another red flag was thrown, halting the session briefly.

With under 20 minutes left, the majority of drivers switched to soft tires to complete their Qualifying simulations in the shortened session. The pit exit saw immediate action, as George Russell attempted an overtake and kicked up some dust while eyeing a move on Max Verstappen, though he ultimately decided to stay behind the Red Bull driver.

As fast laps rolled in, Isack Hadjar of Racing Bulls initially set the pace, only to be surpassed by McLaren’s Norris. However, Piastri managed to edge out his teammate, setting a lap time of 1:28.114, a mere 0.049 seconds quicker than Norris. A third red flag appeared, this time due to a small fire trackside, causing a brief halt before the session resumed with about seven minutes left. Piastri remained on top as another red flag was thrown in the closing moments due to a second fire.

Hadjar secured third place, followed by Lewis Hamilton in the Ferrari and Racing Bulls’ returnee Liam Lawson. Russell took sixth as Mercedes aimed for a strong weekend, while Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, Verstappen, Pierre Gasly of Alpine, and Carlos Sainz rounded out a somewhat mixed-up top ten.

Williams’ Alex Albon slotted into 11th, ahead of the Kick Sauber duo of Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto, with Haas drivers Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearman following. Kimi Antonelli claimed P16 for Mercedes, with both he and his teammate abandoning their soft tire runs, leaving them without representative times on the board. Alonso, Tsunoda, Stroll, and Doohan completed the order, with the latter two unable to return to action following their incidents.

With Friday’s practice sessions concluded, teams and drivers will analyze their data as they prepare to return to the Suzuka Circuit for the third and final practice session on Saturday at 1130 local time, ahead of Qualifying later in the afternoon.