Mercedes enjoyed a successful Friday at Suzuka as Russell led a 1-2 finish ahead of teammate Lewis Hamilton in a wet second practice, although he warned to take the times with a pinch of salt.

With dry conditions returning for qualifying, Max Verstappen took pole for Red Bull ahead of the Ferrari duo of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz , while Hamilton and Russell could only finish sixth and eighth respectively.

Mercedes opted for a high-downforce set-up for Suzuka to cope with the tight first sector and the technical chicane to close out the lap, but Russell said it had left the team exposed when it came to the long straights.

"We've known this year we've not had the most efficient car, very draggy, and this is the first high downforce circuit where you have long straights a

See Full Page