Piastri tops rain-impacted FP2 session at Suzuka with late run

Oscar Piastri produced a late run to top the times for McLaren during a second practice session at the Japanese Grand Prix that saw limited running through due to rain.

In the closing stages, the Australian produced a 1:36.862s on Softs to elevate his MCL38 car to the front, with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc completing the top three.

The precipitation that had been forecast heading into the weekend arrived in time for the start of FP2, with a slight drizzle that made the teams reluctant to send cars out.

With track conditions proving to be too cold and damp for the slicks but not wet enough for the Intermediates, it took until 15 minutes in for one car to appear out on track.

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Mercedes would be the first to brave the conditions with Hamilton on the Medium compound, but the Briton returned to his garage following a single installation tour.

The same was applicable to Daniel Ricciardo, who would have been eager to amass mileage having sat out the opening session to hand Ayumu Iwasa a debut practice run.

Ricciardo returned to the track along with Yuki Tsunoda and the pair ended up situated at the top of the timesheets, with the Japanese driver at the front with a 1:40.946s.

Piastri in the McLaren, both Sauber drivers and Alex Albon, who was the standalone Williams car in the session following Logan Sargeant’s crash, also then ventured out.

However, the RB drivers would remain as the sole drivers to register lap times, with the quartet who explored the track not proceeding to circle round to conduct a timed lap.

Sauber did attempt to send both cars out on track in the final 10 minutes on the Hard compound, but both drivers crawled around the track and then came back to the pits.

Haas opted to trial the Softest tyre Pirelli has brought to Suzuka this weekend, but the temperature remained too cool to work the rubber into its optimum operating window.

But that would ramp up and allow a multitude of drivers to complete late-timed runs on Slicks, with Piastri beating Tsunoda’s initial effort before Hamilton slotted into second.

Although Australian Grand Prix winner Carlos Sainz elected to remain in the garage, Charles Leclerc went out in the sister Ferrari and demoted the RB drivers to fourth and fifth.