During the F1 training sessions at Suzuka, Mercedes recorded record times, with George Russell in first place, followed by Kimi Antonelli.

At the first training session at Suzuka, the Mercedes team had an excellent performance, occupying the top two spots on the time sheets. George Russell was the fastest, closely followed by his teammate, Kimi Antonelli. The Japanese circuit tested the skills of many drivers, and the changing wind directions surprised some of them. Fernando Alonso, who missed the first practice session, will return to the Aston Martin car for FP2, after recently becoming a father for the first time. This session provided a first glimpse of the teams' performances in the new 2026 season.