Oscar Piastri put in a late run in what could only be called a damp squib of a practice session to break the hearts of the Japanese fans as he snatched Yuki Tsunoda’s P1.
Lewis Hamilton was another late-runner, taking second place
ahead of Charles Leclerc in a session in which just five drivers posted proper
lap times.
Oscar Piastri’s late dash breaks Japanese hearts
The forecast rain arrived in the break between sessions
leaving the drivers sitting in the pits at the start of FP2 as they waited for
the track to dry out.
Lewis Hamilton was the first to test the conditions as he
ventured out after 15 minutes. Although he reported just a few wet spots,
Mercedes told him to pit as “rain indicators” said more rain.
And more rain was what Daniel Ricciardo, who set out FP1 for
RB test driver Ayumu Iwasa, reported with the Honey Badger out and in.
Declared ‘low grip conditions’ by Race Control, the drivers
remained in their cars in the garages waiting for the conditions to improve.
