F1 Japanese GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP1 & FP2
Friday's action from the 16th round of the 2023 Formula 1 season
Live AppleTV Race Audio
Formula 1 arrives in Japan with Red Bull on the verge of clinching the constructors' title despite the setback of Singapore one week ago.
Carlos Sainz's victory under the Marina Bay lights marked the first non-Red Bull race win of the season, but Ferrari must outscore Red Bull by more than 24 points to remain in the championship fight beyond this weekend.
If Mercedes, the team currently second, outscore Red Bull at all, the battle will carryover into Qatar.
Japanese GP first practice starts at 3:30am BST followed by second practice at 7:00am BST.
Here come the first times as Sainz and then Albon set the early pace. Albon's 1:33.482s is over a second off the pace of FP1 as he laps on the testy tyre.
As was the case in FP1, there are not only the regular three dry compounds being run, but there is also a Pirelli test tyre. This is a revised medium option that will not be available for the remainder of the weekend.
Slightly explaining Perez's 1.4s deficit to Verstappen in FP1, the former was running the old floor while the points leader had the new iteration that was tried and not run in the Singapore GP.
The chance of rain in the coming hour is officially 10%. There was a mild sprinkling during FP1, but this was nowhere near enough to require the use of intermediate tyres.
In driver news, Alpine interim team principal Bruno Famin confirmed between sessions that Mick Schumacher is in talks to join the manufacturer's LMDh squad in the World Endurance Championship
If you're just waking up, normal service was resumed by Verstappen in FP1 with the championship leader on top by over six-tenths from Sainz. Norris was third but Perez missed out on the top 10.
So, normal service resumed? Verstappen's lap times from FP1 indicate that but it is, of course, very early days at Suzuka. But I'm sure there are big sighs of relief in the Red Bull garage.
So, Verstappen tops FP1 by a healthy six-tenths from Singapore winner Sainz with Norris slotting into third late on. Perez dropped down to 11th by the end of the session, while both Mercs are outside the top 10 having not touched the softs.
Tsunoda and Sargeant get in each other's way through the final sector so both mess up their final laps in the session. The Japanese driver calls it "unnecessary" and we very much agree. It is far too early for that kind of shenanigans.
Spots of rain are dropping in one of Suzuka's ponds. It is just spots for now but that may curtail any full-fat running to minimise the risk at the end of the session.
F1's AWS displays the track dominance match-up between Tsunoda and Alonso, for some unknown reason. Perhaps because the track dominance of the entire field will just read "Verstappen: everywhere".
Hamilton has revealed a very striking neon helmet he will run at the Japanese GP, but so far he is using his familiar bright yellow lid to match his yellow-walled medium tyres. Still no sign of the softs down at Mercedes.
Both Mercedes and McLaren have not tried out the soft tyres yet which explains their respective slide down the order. Meanwhile, Lawson pops into sixth just behind Albon.
Alonso goes third quickest, dividing the Ferraris, but is still over a second off Verstappen's leading effort. I don't think anybody is matching that in this session.
Lawson reports "very light rain on my visor" - there was a forecasted 10% chance of the wet stuff for this session - so let's hope that it stays away for the final 18 minutes of FP1.
Ferrari has also moved onto the softs, so let's see what their one-lap pace is like. Sainz has taken back-to-back poles at the last two rounds, remember.
The majority of the field has completed its test tyre running and is focusing on the familiar medium and soft tyres. Verstappen has just emerged from the pits with the softest compound.
Hamilton, exiting the pits, gets a bit blocked by home hero Tsunoda which he raised his hand to from his cockpit. No bother, as the Merc then goes third quickest with a 1m33.699s.
