Formule-1 : Russell acknowledges McLaren's surprising speed at Suzuka

McLaren shocks the paddock by topping the timesheets in FP2 at Suzuka, with Oscar Piastri leading the charge. The Australian edges out Kimi Antonelli by just 0.092 seconds, while George Russell finishes third, 0.205 seconds off the pace. Russell admits McLaren’s speed is a surprise, acknowledging, “There’s still some improvements we need to do.” Despite Lando Norris suffering a hydraulic leak and finishing fourth, Russell praises Piastri’s strong performance. Mercedes remains focused, with trackside engineering director Andrew Shovlin noting, “We’ve had a fairly straightforward first day.” He highlights the challenges of Suzuka’s energy demands and the need to optimize performance. Mercedes completed long runs on all three tire compounds, gathering crucial data for race day. The battle for qualifying promises to be intense, with both McLaren and Ferrari showcasing impressive speed.