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Formula 1
Japanese GP
2014 Japanese Grand Prix Friday - Practice
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Both Mercedes are on new runs, Hamilton follows title rival Rosberg out of the pits.
Perez asks where he can find time, and he is reminded that - under F1's new radio restrictions, the team "can't tell you that right now - OK?".
The track had become quiet again, with only Kvyat and Perez running. Pacesetter Rosberg now rejoins, as does Merhi.
Perez clouts the entry kerb at the final chicane, but his Force India stays nicely settled.
There's nothing nice about team-mate Hulkenberg's run through the Degners: he gets the first one slightly wrong, and as a result he gets the second one even more wrong, locks up and runs wide.
There's nothing nice about team-mate Hulkenberg's run through the Degners: he gets the first one slightly wrong, and as a result he gets the second one even more wrong, locks up and runs wide.
Perez moves up from 15th to 13th, which puts him ahead of Force India team-mate Hulkenberg by 0.2s.
Gutierrez continues to improve, but taking 17th off Maldonado remains a lofty dream for now. Sutil is 16th in the other Sauber, three tenths ahead of the glasses-wearing Mexican.
Gutierrez raises his pace and pulls half a second clear of Ericsson, though he remains 18th.
Verstappen looked to be on a better lap but aborts it and stays 12th.
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@pirellisport: Getting hotter here, which only adds to the demands on the tyres: nearly 4g of force on wide radius corners like 130R.
A midfield change as Sutil improves to put himself 16th ahead of Maldonado.
Strong session from Ericsson at present. Not only comfortably top of the 'backmarker class', but within 0.005s of Gutierrez.
After his delayed start to the session, Chilton continues to make steady progress and now has the gap to Bianchi down to just under 0.2.s
EDD STRAW, reporting from the esses: "Williams's downforce deficit is not helping it here. In the transition from left to right hander the drivers have to be hesitant as the rear wants to break away."
Magnussen now moves up to sixth, ahead of both Red Bulls, and just behind Raikkonen's Ferrari.
Bringing up the rear: 19 Ericsson; 20 Merhi; 21 Bianchi; 22 Chilton.
The midfield pack: 11 Massa; 12 Verstappen; 13 Hulkenberg; 14 Grosjean; 15 Perez; 16 Maldonado; 17 Sutil; 18 Gutierrez.
An onboard shot with Bottas - and the accompanying graphics - suggests that the Finn is dabbing the brakes through 130R while keeping his foot planted on the throttle.
Order with 30 mins left: 1 Rosberg; 2 Hamilton; 3 Alonso; 4 Bottas; 5 Raikkonen; 6 Ricciardo; 7 Magnussen; 8 Vettel; 9 Kvyat; 10 Button.
Magnussen does improve, he goes up to seventh between the Red Bulls.
Prior to that chicane error, Button was on course to improve with that lap. He stays 10th, a tenth behind Magnussen.
Button is told on the radio: "Data from the other car tells us the toe-link change has worked."
We then get a replay of the McLaren - sparking again - through 130R and then locking up into the final chicane.
We then get a replay of the McLaren - sparking again - through 130R and then locking up into the final chicane.
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@MercedesAMGF1: The queue at the coffee machine in the back of the garage just got bigger. Did someone say "longer runs"?!
Massa improves and goes up to 11th, just ahead of Verstappen.
Alonso wants people to focus on his and Ferrari's performance on track rather than all the rumours about his future, and that's just what EDD STRAW is doing at the esses during this session:
"Ferrari looking strong in the esses with both drivers. But Hamilton looked mighty on his last time through."
"Ferrari looking strong in the esses with both drivers. But Hamilton looked mighty on his last time through."
A more respectable lap now from Chilton, who moves to within 0.7s of Bianchi. He's still last, 6.8s off Rosberg.
Bottas improves, but stays fourth and is still half a second behind Alonso.
Hamilton does his best time in the third sector so far, but it's not an improvement overall. He's still second.
Vettel kicks the tail out on the exit of Degner 2. Say what you like about 2014-spec F1, but surely that's what we want to see when drivers boot the throttle?
Merhi has a less-controlled looking fishtail exiting Spoon Curve, where he spun earlier in the session.
Merhi has a less-controlled looking fishtail exiting Spoon Curve, where he spun earlier in the session.
Chilton has finally done a lap but it's firmly slowest, 9.6s down on Rosberg and 4.5s behind next-slowest man Bianchi in the other Marussia.
Merhi had got to within 0.17s of Ericsson, but the Swede now stretches the gap to 1.4s, though he stays 19th.
Kvyat extends the gap to Verstappen by a fraction as he improves to eighth. The Toro Rossos are sandwiching the McLarens.
Ferrari team boss Marco Mattiacci seems to be spending this session in the garage, rather than on the pit wall. Keeping a closer eye on Alonso, perhaps?
Alonso takes third from Bottas. He's 0.6s off Rosberg, but a second clear of the fourth-placed Williams now.
Verstappen is now within 0.3s of team-mate Kvyat, who is ninth.
Verstappen moves up from 14th to 11th with his latest lap.
Hamilton scrapes the bottom of his car along the Degner 2 exit kerb, but this time he doesn't go fully off track.
Hamilton improves but is a tenth and a half behind Rosberg as he stays second.
Stopwatch
Rosberg does indeed do a new benchmark time, a 1m35.461s.
Ricciardo does improve now, taking sixth, two tenths ahead of Vettel.
Ricciardo's had trouble at Degner 2, but in the esses he has been impressing EDD STRAW:
"Ricciardo looks nice and controlled through here. It is a section that plays to his strengths, quick and flowing. Keeps the car beautifully in line."
"Ricciardo looks nice and controlled through here. It is a section that plays to his strengths, quick and flowing. Keeps the car beautifully in line."
By: AUTOSPORT staff, Glenn Freeman, Matt Beer, Ben Anderson
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