Round 18 of the 2022 FIA Formula 1 World Championship started on Friday with practice at the famed Suzuka Circuit as teams prepared for Sunday’s 53-lap Japanese Grand Prix – the historic Japanese venue returning to the F1 calendar for the first time since 2019 after an enforced absence due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

Mercedes driver George Russell was fastest on the Cinturato Green intermediate tyres on a wet day of free practice in Suzuka, heading his team mate Lewis Hamilton in FP2. The Cinturato Blue full wet tyres were also used today, with no slick tyre running at all.

Pirelli has brought their three hardest compounds to Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix.

The planned 2023 slick tyre test during FP2 was cancelled due to the wet conditions and will now take place during FP2 in Mexico instead. The FP2 session still ran for an extended 90 minutes as scheduled, but with the teams using the tyres in their regular race weekend allocation.

"With wet weather a distinct possibility on Sunday too, I think the teams were able to get a feel for the 2022 cars and tyres here in these demanding," Simone Berra, Chief Engineer."

"We'd made some setup changes over the break and the car was in a better place for the afternoon," said Mercedes Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin. "The time sheets are not a fair reflection of pace as our times were set on new tyres but, like for like, we seemed to be in a reasonable position compared to Red Bull and Ferrari."

Mick Schumacher's Haas VF-22 left the track on the Dunlop Curve late in FP1. Schumacher was unhurt but the chassis would need replacement, cancelling the British driver's FP2 session.

Schumacher's cousin, David, was caught up in a frightening crash during the Hockenheim DTM event which saw a car catch fire as its engine components flew off. David was taken to the medical centre but was reported unscathed.

Schumacher's teammate, Kevin Magnussen, was fifth quickest in FP2.

"The test program from Kevin was good and we got time to do some major changes on the car, to do a back-to-back of different set-ups thanks to the additional 30 minutes which were supposed to be for the prototype tire test," said Guenther Steiner, HaasTeam Principal.

AlphaTauri driver, Yuki Tsunoda, who grew up outside Toyko, will be competing in his inaugural home Grand Prix this weekend.

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FP2 - RESULTS
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Pos	Driver		Team		Time	Gap

1	Russell		Mercedes	1:41.935	127.433 mph
2	Hamilton	Mercedes	1:42.170	0.235
3	Verstappen	Red Bull	1:42.786	0.851
4	Perez		Red Bull	1:42.834	0.899
5	Magnussen	Haas		1:43.187	1.252
6	Sainz		Ferrari		1:43.204	1.269
7	Alonso		Alpine		1:43.533	1.598
8	Bottas		Alfa Romeo	1:43.733	1.798
9	Ocon		Alpine		1:43.884	1.949
10	Zhou		Alfa Romeo	1:44.525	2.590
11	Leclerc		Ferrari		1:44.709	2.774
12	Latifi		Williams	1:44.962	3.027
13	Albon		Williams	1:45.039	3.104
14	Tsunoda		AlphaTauri	1:45.257	3.322
15	Vettel		Aston Martin	1:45.261	3.326
16	Norris		McLaren		1:45.885	3.950
17	Ricciardo	McLaren		1:46.030	4.095
18	Stroll		Aston Martin	1:46.776	4.841
19	Gasly		AlphaTauri	1:47.109	5.174


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FP1 - RESULTS
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Pos	Driver		Team		Time	Gap

1	Alonso		Alpine	1:42.248	127.043 mph
2	Sainz		Ferrari	1:42.563	0.315
3	Leclerc		Ferrari	1:42.634	0.386
4	Ocon		Alpine	1:43.022	0.774
5	Magnussen	Haas	1:43.258	1.010
6	Verstappen	Red Bull	1:43.362	1.114
7	Schumacher	Haas	1:43.761	1.513
8	Norris		McLaren	1:43.889	1.641
9	Bottas		Alfa Romeo	1:43.969	1.721
10	Perez		Red Bull	1:44.234	1.986
11	Zhou		Alfa Romeo	1:44.429	2.181
12	Ricciardo	McLaren	1:44.486	2.238
13	Hamilton	Mercedes	1:44.558	2.310
14	Stroll	Aston Martin	1:44.570	2.322
15	Albon	Williams	1:44.791	2.543
16	Gasly	AlphaTauri	1:44.878	2.630
17	Latifi	Williams	1:45.424	3.176
18	Russell	Mercedes	1:46.103	3.855
19	Tsunoda	AlphaTauri	1:46.192	3.944
20	Vettel	Aston Martin	1:48.090	5.842

(image provided by Aston Martin F1 Media)