Oscar Piastri, from McLaren, finished the day of testing at the top of the Japanese Formula 1 Grand Prix, despite the rain limiting activity in FP2. Light rain in Suzuka made track conditions difficult, as it was too wet for slick tires and too dry for intermediates for most of the session. This meant teams had little idea of how they compared to their rivals, especially in long runs. Red Bull drivers, including Daniel Ricciardo, were among the few to tackle the conditions and come out with intermediate tires. As a result, they held the top two positions on the timing sheet for much of FP2, with Yuki Tsunoda leading the way. However, as the track dried towards the end of the session, Piastri and Lewis Hamilton managed to set faster times on slick tires. Piastri ended up in first place, setting the fastest time of the session. Charles Leclerc also had a strong performance, finishing in third place, despite being four seconds behind the leader. Tsunoda dropped to fourth, while Ricciardo completed the most laps of all drivers in fifth place. Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz, and Esteban Ocon from McLaren rounded out the top eight. Several drivers, including both Red Bull drivers, did not go out on track during FP2. Logan Sargeant could not participate in the session due to damage to his car caused by an accident in FP1. However, his chassis remained intact, avoiding a repeat of the team’s nightmare in the Australian GP.
