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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

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB19

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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Through this all, look who's in P6. Alonso is always there when something like this happens!
Incredibly despite all the mayhem, all 20 drivers are currently still running... for now at least.
That was all rather chaotic at the start. Clearly, the drivers have been taking lessons from MotoGP riders on how not to make it around Turn 1!
Perez is another to enter the pits from seventh to replace his front wing, the Red Bull driver having made contact with Hamilton down into Turn 1. The Mexican rejoins at the back of the pack.
All the incidents at lap one, Turn 1 have been noted by race control.
Ooofff! Replays of the start show Albon went airborne briefly after contact with Bottas down into Turn 1. Incredibly though, the Williams driver is back out behind the safety car.
A slow start for Leclerc was the spark that caused the chaos further back, as Sainz was forced to take avoiding action. This made him squeeze Perez, who in turn hit Hamilton off the track.
He's not the only one to come into the pits, as Albon, team-mate Zhou and Ocon also come in.
Looking back to the start, Verstappen goes ultra-defensive on Piastri, pulling across but leaving the door open to Norris, who took the space and attempted a bold move around the outside of turns one and two.
It's Bottas. The Finn has damaged his front wing and has a right front puncture which will require a trip to the pits.
Safety car
Leclerc and Sainz follow the leaders but the safety car is out already to allow debris from the start to be cleared.
There's contact down the back of the field with the rush into Turn 1, as one of the Alfa Romeo drivers has picked up damage.
Piastri, Norris and Verstappen go wheel-to-wheel but the Red Bull driver retains his advantage as Piastri drops back to P3.
Lights green
WE ARE RACING!
Verstappen and Piastri are nicely angled in at each other on the grid. This could be spicy!
At the final corner and only now does Verstappen begin to back the pack up. But even then, Piastri drops further back. The fun and games are firmly under way!
A bizarre situation on the formation lap with Verstappen flying into the distance while the backmarkers are taking a considerably less hurried pace.
101,000 fans are packed into the Suzuka facility today.
And with that, the formation lap begins!
After his crash yesterday, Sargeant will start from the pitlane with a 10-second penalty also applied with the FIA judging that Williams in effect had a third car built in advance of time

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/sargeant-handed-penalty-for-third-car-rules-breach-ahead-of-f1-japanese-gp/10524579/
53 laps of action are ahead of us with Verstappen going for career race win 48 and his 13th of the season.
The now-iconic F1 theme plays - as I get a singalong rendition from my two-year-old who appears to have now joined me - and the tension is building.
This is your five-minute warning to lights out!
Given the blue skies overhead, this will come as no surprise - the official chance of rain for the race is 0%!
While this is a big day for Red Bull, it is easy to argue that this race has more significance for Piastri. The Australian has narrowly missed out on the podium several times this year, but starting in P2, this could be his time!
We can't avoid it any longer - tyre talk. Degradation was the buzz word on Saturday and we're expecting a mix of two and three-stop strategies today. With two drivers to challenge Verstappen, McLaren has some freedom for flexibility.
Now, a pause as the Japanese National Anthem plays.
Quote
On fan's fears that he will pull away and disappear into the distance, Verstappen said: "That's my plan!"

Never lacking confidence is this one!
Fred Vasseur has offered a fairly bleak outlook of Ferrari's chances for victory today. However, he was more confident of his driver's ability to work together to challenge McLaren.
T-20. Can anyone stop Verstappen today?
It may not be the most entertaining thing to talk about but the wind direction has flipped 180 degrees from yesterday, with a headwind into 130R and Turn 1, compared to a tailwind in qualifying. This will have a massive effect on the way drivers attack those corners.
The drivers are now all out of the cars as the blazing sun beats down on the track - a stark contrast to 12 months ago! Temperatures are 21.1C air and 45C track.
A word for those joining us in European time zones, well done and welcome! Coffee, energy drinks, a fry-up...let us know your tricks to surviving the early start!
Things are further complicated by the continued performance of McLaren, with Piastri second and Norris third on the grid, with both in somewhat of a no man's land between Verstappen and the chasing pack.
And the task facing Mercedes and Ferrari looks extremely difficult after qualifying, with Verstappen on pole and half-a-second clear of the pack.
The only way that Red Bull can be stopped this weekend, is if Mercedes outscore them or if Ferrari score 24 points more than the current leaders.
The cars are just leaving the pitlane to complete their exploratory laps to the grid as we reach the first chance for Red Bull to seal the constructors' title.
Good morning and welcome to Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix!

By: Autosport Staff

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