Oscar Piastri outpaces Mercedes duo in second practice for Japanese Grand Prix

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/piastri-oscar/MqKAIeUf/"]Piastri[/a] is yet to start a grand prix this season, but the Australian gave a reminder of his talent with a lap of 1min 30.133sec in dry, sunny conditions at Suzuka.[/p][p]The 19-year-old Italian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/antonelli-andrea-kimi/ptGu0mT1/"]Antonelli[/a], who won the first grand prix of his career in China two weeks ago, was second, 0.092 seconds behind Piastri.[/p][p]Early championship leader [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/russell-george/xxF56RaN/"]Russell[/a], who was fastest in the morning practice ahead of Antonelli, was third.[/p][p]Piastri has endured a nightmare start to the season, crashing on his way to the grid at the opener in Australia and failing to start the grand prix in China because of a technical problem.[/p][p]His McLaren team-mate and world champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/norris-lando/WSVABbVF/"]Lando Norris[/a] clocked the fourth-fastest practice time after sitting out the first half of the session with a suspected hydraulic leak.[/p][embed guid="3836670f-df4f-4208-b109-c5b0dda8d792" url="https://x.com/F1/status/2037428434754838589" social-type="twitter" /][p]Britain's Norris, who did not start the Chinese Grand Prix because of a separate technical issue to Piastri, also missed half of the morning practice session.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leclerc-charles/KlCOSRub/"]Charles Leclerc[/a] was fifth ahead of Ferrari team-mate [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hamilton-lewis/tI5Vpe1h/"]Lewis Hamilton[/a].[/p][p]Red Bull's four-time world champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/verstappen-max/UV3mgeXB/"]Max Verstappen[/a] was 10th, 1.376 seconds slower than Piastri.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/albon-alexander/OEbwYC7k/"]Alex Albon[/a] had an eventful morning, and he was again in the thick of it in the second practice.[/p][p]The Williams driver almost shunted into Alpine's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/gasly-pierre/nqYFMBBf/"]Pierre Gasly[/a] in the pits and later came to a standstill for several seconds on the track before regaining power.[/p][p]Albon crashed into Cadillac's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/perez-sergio/foV8RteD/"]Sergio Perez[/a] in the morning and also skidded deep into the gravel before clipping a barrier.[/p][p]Aston Martin's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/alonso-fernando/rVRhR90U/"]Fernando Alonso[/a] took part in the afternoon practice after being replaced by reserve driver [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/crawford-jak/6ZvgOYde/"]Jak Crawford[/a] for the morning session.[/p][p]Alonso arrived in Japan late, following the birth of his first child.[/p]