The fastest norris in FP1, Tsunoda sixth for Red Bull

Lando Norris titled the opening training session of the Japanese Grand Prix of Formula 1, because Yuki Tsunoda was only a tenth behind Max Verstappen during his first official round for Red Bull.

Norris overcome a series of decreasing moments earlier in the session, especially since his aggressive approach to the Triangle Casio ended with a quasi-rotation and, later, a brief on the gravel at the exit of the area.

But the Briton then established the best first sectors of the session, then may have taken a little margin through the final chicane, during his fastest visit to put a 1m28.549 on the soft tire.

This put him 0.163 away from George Russell, who was seated at the top of time leaves through medium races and soft type before Norris chicks it with a possible clean race.

Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton were in third and fourth despite Leclerc declaring that he was in difficulty with the deceleration of the car in the corners, with Hamilton just 0.014 s of Max Versappen.

Verstappen pointed out difficulties with the bending of the car in the second sector, and was only 0.107 s away from Tsunoda, because the Japanese pilot obtained his first taste of the RB21 of Red Bull after his promotion of Racing Bulls. Tsunoda reported that he had “found the car interesting” on the radio after the session, but noted that it was a good session anyway.

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull

Photo of: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

Fernando Alonso put himself in the top seven before Isack Hadjar, while Endrea Kimi Antonelli and Carlos Sainz finished the Top 10 – although the two were subsequently failed on their longer races.

Sainz reported that he did not like the clear end of Williams after a change in configuration, while Antonelli had a time in the hair pin in sector two. Alex Albon, who was 11th, also underwent a similar to Antonelli after his car was under-series in the slowest corner of the circuit.

The Alpine Ryo Hirakawa reserve was 12th, just 0.845 s from Norris’s reference during his first outing with the A525, which put him 0.15 s away from the regular driver Pierre Gasly.

The Alpines were divided by Liam Lawson in his return to the Bulls Racing Bulls.

Oscar Piastri failed to get a truly competitive turn after fighting with his McLaren during the first soft -type races, and ranked only 15th.

F1 Japanese GP – FP1 results

Japanese GP photos – Practical