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Formula 1
Japanese GP
F1 Japanese GP Live Commentary and Updates - Race
Minute-by-minute updates for the 2023 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix
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Max Verstappen will start from pole position as Red Bull stand on the brink of a sixth constructors' championship. Should the Dutchman and team-mate Sergio Perez combine to outscore Mercedes, the title will be secured at Suzuka.
Oscar Piastri became the first rookie to qualify on the front row since Nico Hulkenberg in 2010, and he is followed by his McLaren counterpart Lando Norris in third.
The Ferrari paring of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz sandwich Segio Perez to round out the top six, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton just behind.
The Japanese Grand Prix will get under way at 6am BST.
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The lower reaches of the top 10 have settled down a bit now. Sainz after his pitstop sits seventh from Alonso, with the two Alpines of Ocon and Gasly completing the point scoring positions.
With DRS, Piastri is marginally too far back on Russell to make his move for the final podium place. Next time...
Stopwatch
Verstappen punts in a new fastest lap with a 1m34.183s effort. As ever, the Dutchman is keen to hoover up all the points that are on offer.
Remember when we said Perez was back in his car. Well, he's still sat there in the garage. But the tyre blankets are off and he looks like he is ready to rejoin. Just the 26 laps down...
Pit stop
Finally, Sainz stops from P2. Mediums off, hards on and he drops to P7 but with the advantage of fresher rubber.
Norris wastes no time regaining his position from Russell and moves up to P3 with an easy run into Turn 1.
Verstappen now stops from the lead and...exits with an 8s margin at the front still.
Dropping behind Sainz briefly, Norris slots in just behind Russell but with far fresher rubber.
We were correct. In comes Norris from P2. Off come the hard Pirellis and on goes a new set of the same compound.
Gasly moves back into the points at the expense of Hulkenberg.
Hards go on for Piastri and he exits clear of Leclerc, slotting into P5. Sainz stays out, bizarrely.
Pit stop
Gasly is another driver to pit from P8 and drops to P11. The Alpine driver is having a quiet but steady race.
Pit stop
And McLaren reacts immediately with Piastri to protect him from the undercut. Norris will likely follow suit next time around.
Pit stop
As we say that, Leclerc pits from P5 and Hamilton is also in from P6.
With tyres lasting around 20 laps at best so far, we're now rapidly approaching the pit window for those on two-stop plans.
Well this won't do Alonso's mood any good. His Aston Martin team come over the radio to say they retired Stroll's car due to a rear wing failure, but can see no problems with the Spaniard's machine, at least for the moment...
Tsunoda is in for his second stop. It's 2.6s as he swaps the soft tyre for hards and he comes back out in P14.
The gaps at the front are remaining relatively stable now, with the only change of note being Norris' pace over Piastri behind. His race is for P2, given Verstappen holds a 14s lead at the front.
Meanwhile, Alonso has pitted for a new set of hard tyres and demotes Tsunoda for P9.
It may have something to do with the penalty for hitting Magnussen, which if left unserved here, may well be carried over into the next race.
The Mexican is currently 15 laps down on team-mate and leader Verstappen, so one wonders what the point in sending him back out is?
As we say that though, Perez has been strapped back into his Red Bull. And he looks like he's about to head back out!
Things just go from bad to worse for Williams. Albon is also told to retire the car. Just 15 cars left now.
But at the start of lap 27, McLaren reverses the positions. Norris immediately pulls over a second clear of his team-mate.
Quote
Norris is growing more and more frustrated now. "It's just ruining the race now. If he wants George to beat us then..."
Sargeant's awful day comes to an end. The Williams driver is the fourth retirement of the race.
Norris dives into Turn 1 and Piastri pulls across to defend.
"What is he doing?" asks Norris.
Russell immediately moves past Alonso on the exit of Turn 11, and gets Ocon moments later. P7 now for the Brit.
Norris is 0.667s behind Piastri and has now radioed the team to ask McLaren to switch the positions, saying that the longer he stays behind, "the worse" his race will be.
Pit stop
Russell now pits and fits hard tyres. On lap 25 of 53, this will be touch and go as to whether he can make the chequered flag.
Russell pits from second and rejoins P9, behind the squabbling Ocon and Alonso. This should be fun...
Stopwatch
The fastest man on the track at this point is Norris, with a recent 1m36.689s the best of the race to this point.
If this is indeed Russell's plan, he is having to really manage his tyres now with Piastri closing to within DRS range.
And as we say that, Gasly moves up to P10.
Behind Alonso, Tsunoda sits 10th but only just from Gasly, with Lawson a few seconds further back.
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"We think Russell will try for a one-stop. Therefore, he is only a threat if we abuse our tyres," McLaren informs Norris.
Given a one-stop was all but ruled out ahead of the race, this really would be a bold plan.
Given a one-stop was all but ruled out ahead of the race, this really would be a bold plan.
You get the feeling Alonso is a frustrated man in that Aston Martin, as he darts to the inside of Ocon at Turn 1 but there's no way through.
The battle for P2 is incredibly interesting with Piastri closing on Russell, and Norris also closing on his team-mate.
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Stroll is our third retirement of the race. The Aston Martin driver pulls his car into the garage. Game over.
By: Autosport Staff
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