McLarens dominate practice for Japanese Grand Prix amidst disruptions.

Piastri, the recent winner in China, achieved a lap time of one minute, 28.114 seconds just before the second-to-last red flag to lead the times on a calm, sunny day at Suzuka.

Norris, who led in the first practice and placed second in the second session, maintained a significant half-second lead over Racing Bull’s French rookie Isack Hadjar.

The disruptions in the session meant many drivers were unable to complete extended runs, leaving substantial strategizing to be done before qualifying on Saturday.

Trouble began early in the session when Jack Doohan’s Alpine careened off the track, prompting a 22-minute stoppage. The session resumed briefly before further delays due to Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin becoming lodged in the gravel, followed by two incidents involving grass fires along the trackside.

Despite an initial crash, Australian rookie Doohan was reported to be shaken but unharmed.

Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda delivered the sixth-fastest time in the first session for Red Bull, showing a significant improvement since replacing Liam Lawson. He trailed his teammate Max Verstappen—four-times world champion—by only a tenth of a second, ranking fifth.

Verstappen, however, struggled with understeer in the second session, finishing more than half a second behind the pace with the eighth-fastest time.

Lawson, back with Racing Bull after a stint with the team, was 13th in the first session but improved to fifth in the second.

Mercedes found solace in George Russell’s strong showing in the first session, where he topped the times before settling for the second-fastest lap, trailing only the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, who placed third and fourth, respectively.