The heavily disrupted Japanese GP second practice(FP2) at Suzuka was a chaotic yet thrilling affair that saw McLaren’s Oscar Piastri emerge as the fastest driver.
The Australian driver’s lap time of 1:28.114 placed him at the top of the timesheets narrowly edging out his teammate Lando Norris by just 0.049 seconds.
However, the disrupted Japanese GP second practice will be remembered less for the lap times and more for the series of disruptions that marred the session, including multiple red flags caused by crashes and unusual incidents on track.
The session began under sunny skies at the iconic Suzuka Circuit, but it wasn’t long before drama struck.
Just ten minutes into FP2, Alpine’s Jack Doohan suffered a high-speed crash at Turn 1. The Australian driver lost control of his car while pushing on his out-lap, spinning off the track at an alarming speed of 300 kph before slamming into the barriers.
The impact caused significant damage to his car, including the rear wing and tires, and brought out the first red flag of the session.
Fortunately, Doohan emerged from the wreckage unscathed and was later cleared by medical staff after precautionary checks. Jack Doohan crash marked a disappointing end to his day, especially since he had missed FP1 earlier in favor of rookie Ryo Hirakawa.
Once the session resumed after a lengthy delay, it wasn’t long before the already disrupted Japanese GP second practice saw another red flag.
This time, it was Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso who found himself in trouble. The two-time world champion lost control of his car after dipping a wheel onto the grass, causing him to spin into the gravel trap.
Alonso’s car had to be retrieved by marshals, effectively ending his session prematurely. The Spaniard’s misstep highlighted how challenging Suzuka’s narrow and technical layout can be, even for experienced drivers.
As teams scrambled to make up for lost time following the interruptions, another unexpected issue arose—grass fires along the circuit.
Sparks from the titanium skid blocks underneath some cars ignited dry grass near Turn 8 on two separate occasions, leading to yet more red flags in the final 20 minutes of FP2.
The fires not only halted on-track action but also raised safety concerns that prompted an immediate investigation by the FIA. Measures are expected to be implemented to prevent similar incidents during Saturday’s sessions.
- 2025 Japanese Grand Prix FP2 Results
- Lando Norris leads George Russell and Charles Leclerc in opening practice
- 2025 Japanese Grand Prix FP1 Results
Despite these disruptions, several drivers managed to put in competitive laps during brief windows of uninterrupted running.
McLaren continued their strong form with Oscar Piastri leading the charge and Lando Norris close behind in second place. Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar delivered an impressive performance to secure third spot, just 0.404 seconds off Piastri’s benchmark time.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton showed solid pace to claim fourth, while Liam Lawson rounded out the top five for Racing Bulls.
Mercedes’ George Russell finished sixth narrowly ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in seventh. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen could only manage eighth place as he struggled to extract maximum performance amid the interruptions.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Williams’ Carlos Sainz rounded out the top ten fastest drivers in the overly disrupted Japanese GP second practice.
Further down the order, Alex Albon placed eleventh for Williams followed by Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto in their Sauber entries. Haas drivers Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman finished fourteenth and fifteenth respectively, while Kimi Antonelli took sixteenth for Mercedes.
Fernando Alonso ended up seventeenth due to his earlier incident ahead of Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda in eighteenth and Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll in nineteenth. Jack Doohan crash left him at the bottom of the field in 20th.
The chaotic nature of FP2 left many teams with limited data heading into Saturday’s final practice and qualifying sessions.
While McLaren will be buoyed by their strong showing at Suzuka, other teams like Alpine and Aston Martin will have plenty of work to do overnight to recover from their setbacks.
Meanwhile, concerns over track conditions and safety will remain a focal point following Friday’s unusual series of events.
