F1 Japanese GP live commentary and updates: Race day

Piastri tries to go by Verstappen at the chicane at the end of lap 20, but Max 'parks the bus' and Oscar has to wait until the main straight to go by the Red Bull for P5. Gasly next up, two seconds up the road...

This has cost Piastri half a second to Antonelli.

Russell pits at the end of lap 21.

It's a three-second stop for Russell, which isn't great, but crucially he emerges between Piastri and Verstappen.

"Unbelievable!" bellows Russell of the SC timing. Channelling EMF's 1990 hit?

Antonelli and Hamilton pit at the end of lap 22 and that enables the Mercedes to retain the net lead.

Hamilton emerges P4 behind Antonelli, Piastri and Russell. Gasly and Verstappen also pit under the SC and emerge net P7 and P8.

Replays show Bearman limping behind the barrier – that was a hard hit indeed. He was shaping up to pass Colapinto into the Spoon but lost it well before corner entry and arrived sideways on the grass before going back across the track, through the run-off and sideways into the barrier.

We'll need to review the onboards of Hamilton's stop because he ought to have left the pits further forward than he did...

Yes, the Ferrari had a quick enough stop but then was strangely tardy at the pit exit and slotted in behind Russell rather than ahead of him.

Lindblad was another of the drivers to pit before the incident and that has left him P14. Ditto Hadjar in P13. Hadjar undercut Lindblad when they pitted a lap apart, but both have lost position to Lawson, Bortoleto and Hulkenberg. Ocon was less disadvantaged by his green-flag stop and is currently P11, between the two Audis.

"Can you confirm Kimi is going in the place that we trained?" asks Russell, clearly alluding to some rehearsal of the restart procedure. Unless the plan is to go for a pee behind a specific bush?

Safety Car coming in at the end of lap 27.

Antonelli sets the fastest lap to pull 1.8 clear of Piastri.

The Safety Car has very much brought Verstappen back into play with Gasly for P7, meanwhile, and he's tucked into the Alpine's slipstream... Max has a look at the chicane at the end of lap 29 but can't make it stick.

The "incident" between Colapinto and Bearman is under investigation by the stewards. Certainly the closing speed was massive, for reasons which require explanation – it looked like the loss of control was initiated by Bearman taking evasive action. There are those who suggest Colapinto was moving under braking – looked like a perfectly normal racing line to these eyes, plus onboards reveal Franco didn't look in his mirrors, which suggests he wasn't actively defending the position.

No further action from the stewards in the Bearman-Colapinto incident.

Haas say Bearman is "alert and communicating" and has had an x-ray in the medical centre. No fractures, but a "contusion" from impact between knee and monocoque.

The impact force was 50G, apparently.

In other news, while the F1 TV graphics say Stroll is "in pit", Our data screen shows he retired on lap 29.

Antonelli takes another half a second out of Piastri on lap 34 to move 4.9s ahead.

Hamilton is now a second behind Piastri and has his mirrors full of an angry Russell, with Leclerc just 0.8s behind the Merc. Norris is 2.7s behind this battle.

Further back, at the start of lap 36 Hadjar goes by Bortoleto around the outside into Turn 1 for P11.

3.6s down the road from Norris, Gasly still has Verstappen on his tail.

More electrical deployment strangeness, it seems, on lap 37 as Russell's rear wing lights flash – indicating harvesting under way – on the run to the Spoon, and Leclerc nips by to steal P4.

So Hamilton and Leclerc separated by 0.6s in P3 and P4, with Russell a similar distance behind. Will George kick a door off its hinges after this race or express his displeasure in the form of a PowerPoint presentation?

Leclerc says "We're losing time here, for info" on the radio. Then at the end of lap 40 he goes for a gap at the chicane – it looks for a moment like Hamilton has been ordered to move over for his teammate, but he neatly closes the door...

Further back, Hulkenberg has also passed Bortoleto. The Audis running in P2 and P13.

Oof! More harum-scarum stuff between the two Ferraris as Leclerc tries again around the outside at the chicane at the end of lap 41. Hamilton occupies the middle of the road.

Then Leclerc swoops around the outside at Turn 1 and the red cars are separated by millimetres as they enter the Esses. P3 for Charles.

Russell also goes around the outside of Hamilton into Turn 1 – the Ferrari's pace dropped off drastically on the straight as its harvesting lights flickered.

11.3 seconds now separate Antonelli in P1 from Piastri in P2. Leclerc is a further 2.1s behind and took nearly three tenths out of Piastri on lap 43.

Aston Martin explain Stroll's retirement was the result of "a suspected water pressure issue". Perhaps he should have gone for that pee behind a bush during the SC deployment?

Hamilton being 'noted' for leaving the track and gaining an advantage.

Hamilton now 2.2s off the Lecerc-Russell battle for P3 and dropping away by three tenths a lap.

Norris nips by Hamilton on the inside under braking for the chicane at the end of lap 47, but the Ferrari has more boost available out of the corner and retakes P5 on the main straight.

Russell swoops around the outside of Leclerc at 130R at the end of lap 50 to be first into chicane, but Leclerc isn't taking this – he tucks into the Merc's slipstream and dives into Turn 1 first.

Next time around, Norris goes by Hamilton at the chicane for P5. This time there's no riposte from the Ferrari on the pit straight. Two laps to go...

Final lap so this is last chance saloon for Russell if he wants to relieve Leclerc of P3.

Meanwhile Antonelli is 14s ahead of Piastri and unassailable, barring disaster.