Leclerc delivers 'another planet' verdict as F1 teams start McLaren chase

Charles Leclerc has declared McLaren are on "another planet" following a commanding performance in Japanese Grand Prix practice.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri topped the two Friday sessions, respectively, with Leclerc third in FP1 and only seventh in FP2, as the championship leaders were 0.4s quicker than the pack in the second session. 

High-speed tracks such as Suzuka are known to favour McLaren's car characteristics, with Ferrari proving better on circuits with heavy traction and braking zones, something that is limited at the ultra-fast Suzuka. 

Reflecting on the day's running, Leclerc felt the interrupted running with four red flags in FP2 alone proved highly beneficial for his understanding of the SF-25 machine, but that McLaren was the team to beat.

"I thought it was quite positive, I tried many things on the car and it was a very constructive day," Leclerc explained.

"We need to be careful because McLaren seems to be on another planet, but I feel like I maybe have a bit more of an idea on how to maximise our potential.

"We didn't put everything together, but I felt like the performance was probably better than we were seeing on [the timing sheets]. 

"I feel like everything we've learned today will be the complete opposite [for qualifying] with the huge change of wind, especially on a track like this. 

"It was frustrating because I wasn't putting laps on the board, every time there was either traffic or a red flag or another red flag or another red flag again, so it was frustrating but constructive. 

"We've made loads of changes and we've learned a lot from the car and I feel like I've maybe understood where I wanted more for future races, so that is always a good thing."