Russell sympathises with fans: 'Hope we find solution for this'

George Russell set a fourth fastest time in the first free practice session, just under half a second behind Max Verstappen. That was above expectations, the Mercedes driver told reporters after the first day in Japan.

"We performed better than we expected to in FP1. That was a pleasant surprise, and the car was feeling really nice to drive. Both Lewis and I were happy with the overall balance. The W15 has been performing better when the conditions are cooler though, so that is a note of caution."

The Briton continued: "Our focus today was trying several test items and experiments to make the car more consistent in variable conditions. Time will tell whether these have had the intended impact and it was frustrating that we couldn't evaluate these further in the afternoon."

Russell balks in front of fans

That few drivers took to the asphalt in the second free practice session, and Russell does feel sorry for the fans who travelled specially to Suzuka to watch racing F1 cars. Russell hopes the rules can be changed that such a scenario will not happen in the future. "It's such a shame for those here and watching at home that we couldn't do much running in FP2. I hope we can find a solution for these moments and conditions. It's not the first time it has happened, and it won't be the last. Looking at tomorrow, Qualifying will be interesting as it's a clear single lap tyre. Most drivers may only have three or four sets of the Soft compound so you will have to ensure you nail each and every lap."