F1 Japanese GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP3 & Qualifying
Saturday's action from the fourth round of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
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.
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Still, advantage Red Bull heading into qualifying while Mercedes look useful as best of the rest. Then comes Alonso, while both McLaren drivers and Stroll had wide moments at Degner 2.
"I keep losing my left mirror," Perez says. Mirror trouble at Red Bull isn't what we had on our FP3 call sheet this morning.
We've not really mentioned the Ferraris in this session as they've flown under the radar. Their soft tyre runs have also kept things quiet, with Sainz seventh and Leclerc 10th.
Alonso sneaks up to fifth, behind the Red Bull and Mercedes drivers, while Norris improves but stays in sixth.
Norris ruins his first lap on these softs as he runs wide at Degner 2 and skims across the painted exit kerb and grass.
"The ride of the car is suddenly a lot worse," Verstappen reports on team radio. It cannot be that bad Max.
Perez makes it a Red Bull 1-2, 0.269s off team-mate Verstappen, while Hamilton improves but stays fourth.
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Verstappen goes quickest with a 1m29.563s, 0.355s faster than Russell.
The timing screen is lighting up green and purple all over the place now so get ready for a flurry of fast laps.
Stopwatch
Russell is the next big improver, jumping from 20th to 1st with a 1m29.918s.
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Albon pops up to sixth with a 1m30.533s. Not the cleanest of laps by the Anglo-Thai driver but he sets the fastest final sector of anyone. The rest of the F1 pack is heading out of the pits with just over 12 minutes to go in FP3.
Both the Williams are out on track as Albon rounds the final corner to start his first timed lap on the softs. Is there a better sight in F1 than a quali-style lap around Suzuka?
Albon breaks the brief silence as he heads out on fresh softs. Time for pre-qualifying!
Make that all 20 as Sainz and Alonso enter the pits together. The track falls silent.
Right, 18 drivers are in the pits so that should mean they are preparing for some fresh soft tyre runs.
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Steering wheel hats. That is all.
Fans supporting Red Bull Racing
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
Still nobody challenging for a new fastest lap time as the focus remains on the long runs. Russell's car is down from the jacks and looks ready to return to the track.
Someone who might not be so happy is Russell, as he is last on the times and his car is up on the jacks in the Mercedes garage. Work is ongoing to his car floor ahead of his next run.
Verstappen is sticking to his medium tyres on this long run to provide Red Bull with useful data heading into the race. On the whole, he seems to be happy with the handling of his Red Bull now.
Verstappen spots some loose tape on his right-side mirror that he tries to reattach on the run to 130R. As you do.
It is Verstappen's turn to report a slight issue as he states he is understeering into corners. It'll be curious to understand how much track conditions have changed since Friday given the complaints.
Ocon is complaining of bouncing in his Alpine. Maybe it is the upgrades, the car is lighter now after all...
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Many teams are getting in long runs having missed the opportunity in FP2, which means the usual quali-style runs are slightly delayed and explains why Verstappen remains second having set his best lap on mediums.
Some extensive work going on to Stroll's Aston as the engine cover is reattached ahead of his next run.
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Norris has put his autograph pen away and made it on to the track - going third fastest with a 1m30.199s, nearly two-tenths quicker than team-mate Piastri.
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"I have no rear support, zero," Sargeant states to Williams. All is not well at the Grove-based squad.
Ricciardo loses the rear of his RB exiting the long right-hander that starts the lap but thankfully for the Australian it ends in a harmless skate across the grass.
Yellow flag
Piastri pops up to third with a 1m30.360s - just as Ricciardo has spun off at Turn 2 to bring out the yellow flags.
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"The driveability was a lot better on that lap," Perez updates Red Bull. Problem solved.
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"I just have zero confidence in the car," Albon reports on his Williams radio. That's not good news.
Birthday boy Piastri heads out for the first time today, meaning we're just missing Norris and the two Alpine drivers from this session. I wonder if Norris is still signing autographs in the paddock?
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"I'm struggling a lot in the low speed. The ride in the low speed is quite poor," is the latest from Perez. He's currently third on the times and a third of a second off team-mate Verstappen.
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"What the f*** again with the driveability. Have a look please," Perez says sharply on the Red Bull team radio. That's a common issue for both Red Bull drivers, but rarely heard of from the RB runners using the same engine spec.
Verstappen isn't put off by his wobbly mirrors as he improves and cuts the gap to Hamilton at the top to 0.128s - going fastest of anyone in the final sector.
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"My mirrors are vibrating quite a bit," Verstappen says over team radio.
Stopwatch
Hamilton posts the early leading time, on softs, of 1m30.065s to go two-tenths quicker than Verstappen who is on mediums.
Yellow flag
Magnussen's had an off. It is a weird one, he semi-locks up going into the hairpin but rather than snatching his brakes fully he slides into the gravel trap. The Dane escapes the dirt with ease but that has ruined those new medium tyres.
All three tyre compounds are on show right now, with Albon out on hards and a selection of drivers on mediums and softs.
Norris isn't joining the early running - he's still on his way into the McLaren garage and signing autographs.
By: Autosport Staff
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