George Russell: Fast FP1 in Japan

Russell set the pace in the first practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix as he narrowly beat his Mercedes team mate Kimi Antonelli, with reigning World Champion Lando Norris settling for third, Formula1.com reports.

Analysis:

Sunny but cool conditions would greet the drivers for this opening session at the Suzuka Circuit. There would be a lot of data gathering early in the hour so the lap times would not begin to tumble until late. Mercedes would once again show they're the class of the early-season with Russell going 1:31.665 to edge Antonelli by just two-hundredths. The Mercedes duo were one- and two-tenths ahead of the McLaren pair. Russell once again looks like the driver to beat this weekend in Japan.