George Russell admitted he was surprised by the strong pace shown by McLaren during practice at the Japanese Grand Prix, as the team emerged as an unexpected contender.
Russell, who drives for Mercedes, had started the day strongly by topping the first practice session. However, things changed in the second session when McLaren’s Oscar Piastri set the fastest time, leaving Russell in third place.
The British driver admitted that McLaren’s speed caught them off guard. He said the team looked “pretty fast” and described their performance as “a little bit of a surprise,” especially after Mercedes’ strong start to the season.
Despite the surprise, Russell remained calm and focused. He pointed out that Mercedes still has areas to improve, particularly in energy management and overall performance. He believes there is more pace to come from his car as the team works overnight to make adjustments.
McLaren’s performance was even more impressive considering their recent struggles. The team had faced reliability issues earlier in the season, but in Japan they showed strong pace, with both Piastri and Lando Norris finishing near the top of the timesheets.
Piastri in particular looked sharp from the beginning of the session, setting a benchmark lap that Mercedes could not match. Even though Norris had a disrupted session due to technical issues, he still managed to stay competitive, highlighting the overall improvement in the car.
Russell also suggested that McLaren’s pace could be genuine and not just a one-off performance. He acknowledged that different teams are still learning how to get the best out of their cars under the new regulations, and small improvements could make a big difference.
With qualifying still to come, Russell remains confident that Mercedes can respond. However, McLaren’s strong showing has added an extra layer of competition heading into the rest of the weekend.
If the pace seen in practice continues, the battle at Suzuka could become much more competitive than expected, with McLaren now looking like a real threat to Mercedes’ early dominance.
