Max Verstappen and Red Bull put the memories of a challenging Singapore weekend behind them as they doubled up during Friday practice for the Japanese Grand Prix, following up their pace-setting FP1 efforts with the fastest time in FP2, which was red-flagged late on when Alpine’s Pierre Gasly crashed out.

In another session that featured prototype C2 tyre testing for the 2024 season, Verstappen was one of the first drivers to switch to the standard soft compound rubber, producing an initial benchmark of 1m 31.377s to continue where he left off earlier in the day.

Following runs from Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc at the halfway mark, which saw both briefly top the times, Verstappen rejoined the Suzuka track on softs to pump in a 1m 30.688s lap and move comfortably clear of the McLaren and Ferrari drivers.

After both Mercedes drivers refrained from using the soft rubber in first practice, George Russell posted a lap time quick enough for fifth position this time out, though team mate Lewis Hamilton had another quiet session on his way to 14th, having asked the team to check his floor early on.

Fernando Alonso and Alex Albon led the way for their respective Aston Martin and Williams teams in sixth and seventh, followed by the other McLaren of the freshly re-signed Oscar Piastri and the second Red Bull of Sergio Perez, with Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas 10th.