Yuki Tsunoda Solid in 1st Practice Session for the Japanese Grand Prix

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Yuki Tsunoda had the fourth-fastest time in the rain-shortened second practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday, April 5 that saw many of the top drivers unable to record a flying lap.

It was a quiet start to the hour-long session at the 5.807-kilometer Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture as many teams opted to stay in their garages while a light rain fell.

RB driver Tsunoda was the first to put in a timed lap with an effort of 1 minute, 40.946 seconds. That capped a solid day that saw him finish ninth fastest in the morning session.

Japanese Grand Prix — *Fans hold up a sign in support of RB's Yuki Tsunoda in the stands during practice. (Issei Kato/REUTERS)*

"It was a positive first day for us," Tsunoda said. "I think we started good in FP1, finishing top 10, showing that the pace is there … it's only Friday, so I'm looking forward to giving it my all."

Tsunoda is coming off his best finish this season when he placed seventh at the Australian Grand Prix on March 24 and is hoping to finish in the points in Sunday's race.

Piastri Has the Fastest Timed Lap in Final Practice Session

McLaren driver Oscar Piastri set the best timed lap of 1:34.725 in the final practice session, 0.501 seconds faster than Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was third fastest, just over four seconds off Piastri's time.

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Author: Jim Armstrong

The author is a longtime journalist who has covered sports in Japan for over 25 years. You can find his articles on SportsLook.