Formula 1 may face a complicated weekend at the Japanese GP, after FP2 data revealed a significant ‘super-clipping’ problem at Suzuka. This loss of speed (even with drivers accelerating and due to energy management issues) recorded in one of the fastest sections of the circuit, caught the attention of drivers and teams early in Friday’s activities.
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The topic gained prominence after the first two free practice sessions, when numbers showed considerable speed drops between the famous 130R corner and the final chicane. The situation was considered concerning and could directly influence the performance of the teams throughout the rest of the weekend.
On track, George Russell led the start of FP1, ahead of teammate Kimi Antonelli and current 2025 champion Lando Norris. Later, in FP2, the best time went to Oscar Piastri, completing a positive day for McLaren.
Despite this, the main topic after Friday’s sessions was the behavior of the cars in the third sector. Russell and Lewis Hamilton were among the drivers who criticized the situation, with the seven-time champion classifying the problem as ‘challenging’.
Telemetry data shared by the F1 Holiness profile showed the extent of the problem. On average, teams lost 53.4 km/h in this section of the circuit, even while keeping the accelerator fully pressed, with only five of the twenty-two drivers recording losses outside the 50 km/h range.
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Nico Hulkenberg showed the best performance in this aspect, with a loss of 46 km/h after the 130R. His teammate, Gabriel Bortoleto, came close behind, with 51 km/h. Norris recorded 52 km/h, while Antonelli, Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc were close to the average, with 53 km/h.
Russell and Piastri lost 54 km/h and 55 km/h, respectively, while Hamilton faced more difficulties, with a loss of 58 km/h. The highest numbers were recorded by Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, Pierre Gasly, Lance Stroll and Franco Colapinto, all above 60 km/h, with Colapinto surpassing the 70 km/h mark.
With these numbers, ‘super-clipping’ emerges as one of the main factors to be observed for the rest of the weekend at Suzuka, especially on a circuit where energy efficiency and speed in high-speed corners play a decisive role in performance.
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