Russell Surprised by McLaren's Speed in Japan

0:00It's March 27. This is F1 News Today, AI-powered updates on your team. I'm Cory with the story. George Russell says McLaren's speed caught him off guard during Friday practice at the Japanese Grand Prix. The Mercedes driver leaves the driver's championship after winning the Australia opener and the China sprint race, then finishing second to teammate, Kimi and Tinelli in China. Mercedes locked down free practice, won with a 1-2 finish, but McLaren's Oster Piaestry topped the second session. Russell ended up two tenths of a second slower, admitting his team needs work tonight to catch up. McLaren bounced back strong after a tough China weekend, where both their cars failed to start due to power-unit issues. Raining Constructors' Champions, they're showing real pace despite Lando Norris losing half a practice, due to a hydraulic leak, he's still finished. Just half a second off Piaestry. Russell sees no reason to doubt McLaren's form, pointing to Piaestry's strong laps from the start.

1:00He expects Mercedes to improve with better energy deployment and set up tweaks before Saturday qualifying. Things should tighten up tomorrow, setting the stage for a competitive weekend at Suzuka.