Russell wary of McLaren's 'surprise' pace in Japan practice

Mercedes have started the 2026 season strongly, but George Russell was surprised by McLaren's early pace in Japan. George Russell admitted that McLaren's speed during Friday practice for the Japanese Grand Prix was unexpected. Despite Mercedes leading the championship, they struggled to match the pace of McLaren's Oscar Piastri in FP2. After a difficult start to the season with mechanical issues in China, McLaren showed promising speed at Suzuka. Although Lando Norris faced hydraulic issues, Oscar Piastri was consistently fast. Russell noted that while his own energy management needs optimization, he expects Mercedes to improve before Qualifying.