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Formula 1
Japanese GP
F1 Japanese GP Live Commentary and Updates - Race
Minute-by-minute updates for the 2024 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix.
Red Bull locked out the front row of the grid in qualifying, with Max Verstappen on pole once again. It will be on the chasing pack to catch the reigning world champions, with McLaren’s Lando Norris starting at the head of that group in third place.
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.
The Japanese GP starts at 6am BST.
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The fans look in good spirits which is great to see. They've basically had 30 minutes extra in the sunshine which is a win in my book.
A few drivers have switched tyres in this pause. Hamilton has gone from the mediums to the hards for this restart. Is he targeting a one-stopper now?
Fresh soft tyres for Bottas. Some mandatory pitstops have technically now been completed.
Green flag
Verstappen leads the pack past the safety car, to effectively start lap two of the race, but really this is like another formation lap for the standing restart.
Russell, Ocon, Gasly and Zhou have also switched to hard tyres for the restart.
The field spread on this lap is incredible, with Verstappen in the final sector as Zhou pulls out of the pits.
Logically, those on hards are aiming to make just one more pitstop, taking on their other set of hards, to make it to the end. Everyone else will likely stick to a two-stopper. We'll see how it plays out.
Lights green
Here we go again! It is a repeat of the first start, as Verstappen gets away cleanly in the lead from Perez, Norris, Sainz and Alonso.
Hulkenberg loses all of his advantage, with a poor start dropping him from P10 to P15.
Hamilton's hard tyre gamble has already cost him a position, with Leclerc finding his way through into P7.
At the end of the first full racing lap, Verstappen leads by 0.9s over the line from Perez as DRS is enabled. But there is just one DRS zone at Suzuka, at the start/finish straight, so the Dutch driver effectively has another lap to skate clear.
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"Pierre gave me a hit in the side. Let me know if it's ok," says Ocon. He is currently P11 with team-mate Gasly in P14 but that was a less-than-perfect restart for the Alpine pair.
Perez just clings on to DRS range from Verstappen, but he has dropped Norris who is fending off Sainz and Alonso.
A pair of passes into Turn one, as Russell takes Tsunoda for P9 and Bottas takes Ocon for P11.
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"Car looks good," Alpine informs Ocon.
But the good news is immediately spoiled by Stroll cruising past for P12 at Turn One. He now has team-mate Gasly directly behind.
But the good news is immediately spoiled by Stroll cruising past for P12 at Turn One. He now has team-mate Gasly directly behind.
Verstappen has broken clear of DRS to Perez at the start of the sixth lap. The Mexican then runs wide coming out of Degner 2, which costs him a seven-tenths of a second.
Pit stop
Bottas is the first driver to pit. He's only been on those soft tyres since the restart.
The Sauber driver returns to the track on hard tyres.
The Sauber driver returns to the track on hard tyres.
Hulkenberg has also stopped for hard tyres after his tardy restart.
Back to the Sauber stop, and it was a four-second stop. Not great, but an improvement on their recent offerings.
Back to the Sauber stop, and it was a four-second stop. Not great, but an improvement on their recent offerings.
Verstappen's lead is up to 2.3s over Perez, but in truth the gaps between each of the frontrunners is slowly starting to expand, as tyre management comes into play.
Pit stop
In comes Tsunoda for fresh hard tyres. He returns to the track and drops behind Bottas.
The undercut is powerful today, with Hulkenberg only narrowly missing out on passing the RB driver as well.
The undercut is powerful today, with Hulkenberg only narrowly missing out on passing the RB driver as well.
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"I see Lando struggling a bit," Sainz says on team radio. The Ferrari driver has moved back into DRS range of his former team-mate in the fight for third.
Verstappen says his car is switching between understeering and oversteering as the tyres start to wear. His race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase says "I won't say I told you so," which clearly refers to him predicting this scenario.
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"The steering is starting to feel a little bit strange. Lots of vibrations," reports Russell from P9.
Like Hamilton (P8), he is on the hard tyres.
Like Hamilton (P8), he is on the hard tyres.
Verstappen's lead continues to increase, up to 3.4s, with a similar gap splitting Perez from Norris.
Pit stop
Norris pits from third at the end of lap 11. It is a smart 2.3s stop and he comes out on hards in 10th.
Pit stop
A 5.4s stop for Zhou, who has now made two stops since the restart. His pitlane loyalty card is gathering the stamps today.
Pit stop
Next time around, Piastri pits but everyone else keeps their powder dry from the frontrunners. The Australian comes out in hards and in 12th.
"Shall I let George by?" asks Hamilton.
Russell has been glued to his gearbox for some time now.
Russell has been glued to his gearbox for some time now.
"Swap positions," comes the answer for Hamilton, as he lets Russell by at the final chicane for P6.
Mechanical problem
But Zhou is back in the pits and this appears to be the end of his day as the team confirms a gearbox issue.
He is wheeled back into the garage.
He is wheeled back into the garage.
Pit stop
Verstappen continues to build his lead, which is up to 4.5s, as Alonso pits from fourth. The Aston driver comes out in eighth and on mediums but crucially ahead of Piastri.
Making use of his fresh hard tyres, Piastri has passed Magnussen for P9 at the chicane. A textbook move down the inside.
Pit stop
At the end of lap 15, Perez and Sainz pit together from second and third. Both drivers take on fresh mediums, committing them to a two-stopper, as Norris leapfrogs them both.
Pit stop
A lap later, Verstappen responds and pits to come out in third on fresh mediums. At the same time, Norris uses DRS to overtake Hamilton diving into Turn 1 to move up to fourth.
Verstappen makes light work of passing the yet-to-stop Russell for second and then Perez makes a brave move on the also yet-to-stop Hamilton for fifth at 130R. That was bold.
Norris also gets by Russell to move up to third. Leclerc leads but is yet to make his first pitstop in this race.
Another DRS Turn 1 move, this time from Bottas on Sargeant for P11.
Perez lines up a repeat 130R move on Russell a lap later, but he's already ahead before the corner apex, so takes fourth with ease. Great moves by the Mexican.
"Tyres are dropping, the front right is dead," Hamilton reports on team radio.
Sainz is the latest to fly by a Mercedes, this time Hamilton for sixth, diving up the inside at the hairpin and braving it out to keep the inside line into Spoon curve.
By: Autosport Staff
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