Ferrari F1 at Suzuka: the drivers are satisfied with the test but "There's still work to be done overnight".

This Friday in Suzuka, the Scuderia Ferrari completed its first two free practice sessions with mixed but generally encouraging results. Although the SF-25 has yet to reveal its full potential, the drivers are optimistic... although they admit that it's going to be a studious night.

A far from smooth Friday

It wasn't an easy day for Scuderia Ferrari. Between red flags, repeated interruptions and changing conditions on the Japanese track, it was difficult for the teams to draw clear conclusions. In FP2 in particular, no fewer than four interruptions disrupted the work of the engineers, between incidents, accidents and even the start of a fire on a grassy section of the circuit.

In this context, Oscar Piastri set the fastest time ahead of Lando Norris and Isack Hadjar, while Hamilton and Leclerc were 4th and 7th respectively.

Leclerc reassuring, despite appearances

At the end of the first day, Charles Leclerc was keen to allay concerns. Although he acknowledges that the Ferraris did not appear at the front of the timesheets, the Monegasque insists on the progress made and the constructive tests carried out:

"It was a constructive day. We tried a lot of different settings and I learned a lot about the car. We didn't put everything together, not least because of the red flags and traffic, but I think our level is better than the times show."

Aware that weather conditions could still changeWith a high probability of rain for the race, Leclerc is cautious but confident:

"It will be interesting to see how conditions, particularly wind direction, affect qualifying and race performance."

Hamilton on the same wavelength

For his part, Lewis Hamilton, who is contesting his first Grand Prix at the wheel of the Ferrari at Suzuka, also highlighted the positive points:

"Overall, it was a positive day. The circuit is incredible, especially the first sector. We made good progress between the two sessions."

However, he too tempers enthusiasm:

" There's still work to be done overnight, and with the weather set to change, we'll need to stay focused, but we're in a good position and I'm excited to see what we can do.. "

A still unclear hierarchy

The McLaren still seems to have a slight lead at the start of the weekend, with a well-balanced single-seater on the fast sections of the Japanese track. But Ferrari can still play its cards right, especially in wet conditions, which could level out performance and open up new opportunities.

Free practice 3 on Saturday morning will therefore be crucial for fine-tuning and choosing the right set-up ahead of qualifying. At Ferrari, there's no time for euphoria, but one thing is certain: the team is far from having said its last word.