F1 Japanese GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP3 & Qualifying
Saturday's action from the fourth round of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
Live AppleTV Race Audio
Following a Red Bull 1-2 in opening practice led by Max Verstappen and then severely limited running in damp FP2 conditions, Saturday’s Suzuka action will prove pivotal for the outcome of the Japanese GP.
The majority of the F1 paddock sees the Japan race as a place where the true pecking order will be revealed due to Suzuka’s characteristics and demands on the cars.
Final practice starts at 3:30am BST followed by qualifying at 7am BST.
And Stroll is the shock exit in Q1! Late improvements saw Stroll plummet down the order while his Aston Martin team-mate Alonso is second only to Verstappen. Oh dear!
As the rest of the field file out of the garages, Albon completes his latest effort, moving himself up to P11. A 1m29.963s is currently four-tenths clear of the drop.
Ferrari have struggled over a single lap so far this weekend and that has continued, with Sainz fifth and Leclerc eighth - the latter a second off the pace.
But here come the Red Bull drivers, as Perez tops the order briefly before Verstappen makes his mark with a 1m28.866s - a time half-a-second clear off Perez. That's a proper marker!
But there is the now common scene of the drivers queuing in the pits to create gaps. Russell could find himself in hot water after he left his garage directly into the path of Piastri, very nearly causing a collision. The incident will be investigated after the session.
With regard to the conditions, there is an air temp of 17.9C and a track temp of 27.9C. The wind has recently changed, blowing in a north-west direction at 2m/s and providing a tailwind through the esses.
Highlighting a quirk of Suzuka, three different drivers shared the fastest sectors in FP3 but none were Verstappen, highlighting the challenge of finding a setup that works globally on the layout.
For those who missed FP3, Leclerc was less than impressed with Ferrari after he was unable to start a second flying lap at the end of the session. A blip or a return of pit wall troubles?
With that, it is time for a little breather ahead of qualifying, but never fear, we'll be back for all the pre-session build-up and talking points. Time to go hunt out some caffeine. Go well!
Leclerc has a moan over team radio to Ferrari for keeping him in the garage as it appears he was aiming for a second quali lap but he missed out as he found the chequered flag when starting his second lap.
