The second Free Practice session of the 2025 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix got off to a thrilling start at Suzuka, with plenty of drama, unexpected turns, and red flags that kept fans on the edge of their seats.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton was the first to show his speed, setting the early pace with a 1:29.950 lap time. But it didn’t take long for his former teammate, George Russell, to show his hand, beating Hamilton by a narrow 0.284 seconds, clocking in at 1:29.666—both drivers on the hard compound tyre.
Meanwhile, home hero Yuki Tsunoda demonstrated his skill on the medium compound tyres, clocking in fifth fastest, 0.959 seconds off Russell’s leading time. New Zealander Liam Lawson also looked solid, moving up to 7th, just 1.090 seconds behind Russell. Lawson, like Tsunoda, was running on the medium tyres.
However, just 8 minutes in, the session was quickly thrown into chaos when Alpine rookie Jack Doohan suffered a heavy crash at Turn 1. On what was meant to be his flying lap, Doohan lost control, veering off track into the gravel at high speed and slamming into the barriers. The severe impact left the Alpine car beyond repair for the session.
Fortunately, Doohan emerged from the wreckage unscathed but was taken to the medical centre for precautionary checks. The crash prompted a red flag that would disrupt the session for the next 20 minutes. Alpine’s mechanics faced the monumental task of getting Doohan’s car ready in time for Qualifying tomorrow. However, repairs seemed unlikely to be completed before tomorrow’s earlier FP3 session.
When the session resumed, it was clear the impact of the stoppages had shaken things up. With just 30 minutes left on the clock, another red flag came out—this time for Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, who had beached his car in the gravel after an off-track excursion.
After another brief delay, the action resumed with just 18 minutes to go. Russell once again set the fastest lap, improving to 1:28.567 on the soft tyres after changing compounds during the extended pit garage stay. Not to be outdone, Hamilton responded immediately with a 1:28.544, edging out his teammate once again. But the surprise came from Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar, who flew out of nowhere to set a blistering 1:28.518, briefly snatching the top spot from the two Brits.
With Lawson putting in a solid showing, sitting 3rd fastest and just 0.041 seconds behind his teammate, the Racing Bulls proved they had plenty of pace and confidence under the hot Suzuka sun.
On the other hand, Tsunoda was languishing down in 14th, 2.1 seconds adrift of Hadjar, while reigning World Champion Max Verstappen found himself in 6th, 0.152 seconds off the rookie’s pace.
Hadjar’s time held at the top for several minutes, but McLaren’s Lando Norris had other ideas. After completing one of his few flying laps, Norris set the session’s fastest lap with a 1:28.163, pushing Hadjar into second. But just as things started to settle, the session was again disrupted—this time by a grass fire on the track, forcing a third red flag and bringing the drivers back into the pits with only 14 minutes remaining.
With the small grass fire under control and the session back on track with just 6 minutes to go, the drama continued to unfold. Oscar Piastri surged to third, 0.380 seconds behind Norris, while Hadjar remained in second. Lawson, who had been looking impressive all session, dropped to 5th after a last-minute, desperate charge from the other drivers.
Piastri wasn’t satisfied with his earlier lap, so on his next run, he went even faster, posting a 1:28.114 to top the timesheet. Lawson was just 0.445 seconds behind in 5th, while Tsunoda was still struggling, sitting down in 18th—2.5 seconds off Piastri’s best lap. Verstappen also voiced frustration over his car, reporting issues with the front end, sitting in 8th place, 0.556 seconds off the pace.
Just when it seemed the session might be over, a second grass fire broke out, forcing another red flag with only 20 seconds remaining and ending the session.
Ultimately, the heavily disrupted session meant that all drivers had, although limited, the same amount of practice time, so the variances in performance were likely due to differences in tyre compounds, set-ups, and fuel levels. It’s common practice for teams to try different things in practice sessions to determine what works best, as each track/race is different. It was said Tsunoda was running a different set-up than Verstappen and other drivers.
As the dust settled on a hectic FP2, Lawson proved once again that he has the speed and confidence at Suzuka. He finished the session in 5th place, ahead of Verstappen in 6th and Tsunoda in 18th, despite the session being disrupted, throwing drivers off and leaving them struggling to focus. Lawson’s promising performance, particularly on a track he knows well, suggests that the Kiwi could be one to watch as we head towards qualifying.
With a disrupted FP2 session now behind us, all eyes will be on FP3 and the all-important Qualifying sessions tomorrow. Will Lawson continue his strong form? Can Russell, Hamilton or Piastri capitalize on their pace? And what about Verstappen—will the reigning champion find the pace needed to challenge for pole position? Will Tsunoda find the right set-up in time for qualifying?
Stay tuned; the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix is shaping up to be a classic.
Header Image: Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool
