Suzuka, FP2: Russell leads Mercedes 1-2 in wet second practice

George Russell led the way for Mercedes as the Silver Arrows claimed a 1-2 finish in a second wet practice session for the 2022 FIA Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix. Drivers’ Championship leader Max Verstappen was third quickest ahead of Red Bull team-mate Sergio Pérez.

FP2 at Suzuka had been extended to 90 minutes to accommodate testing of 2023 Pirelli tyre compounds but with the test tyre being slick the session effectively became an opportunity for more running on wet and intermediate tyres. However, with the circuit still very wet due to the steadily falling rain, the early stages of the session were muted.

Williams’ Nicholas Latifi went out after five minutes on full wets but was forced to take an escape road after he suffered an issue. Carlos Sainz set the first proper time of the afternoon after 12 minutes with a lap of 1:49.615. And with most drivers content to wait it out until conditions improved the Ferrari driver’s time stood as the benchmark until a third of the way through the session. It was Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton who took over at the top, the seven-time champion setting a new P1 time of 1:49.489 on full wets.

Russell then bolted on a set of intermediate tyres and with conditions improving lowered the benchmark to 1:45.197 before Hamilton returned to the track and responded with a lap of 1:44.298s.

Verstappen finally joined the action with a little over 50 minutes remaining and the Red Bull driver immediately vaulted to the top of the timesheet with a lap of 1:43.571, before finding more time on a second flyer of 1:43.137.

It wasn’t as comfortable for Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. The Monegasque driver ventured out at the same time as Verstappen but he went off at Turn 11 on his out-lap and complained of poor feeling with the car throughout the session.

Russell then went out again and this time the Mercedes man managed to drop down to 1:41.935 on intermediate to beat Verstappen by more than eight tenths of a second. Hamilton, too, edged ahead of the Dutchman to the tune of six tenths of a second.

Pérez took fourth place for Red Bull with Haas’ Kevin Magnussen fifth ahead of Sainz, while Alpine’s Fernando Alonso was seventh ahead of Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and the second Alfa of Zhou Guanyu. Leclerc finished 11th.

Mick Schumacher failed to run during the session owing to a chassis change following a crash at the end of FP1.