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Formula 1 Japanese GP

Japanese GP Friday practice

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Romain Grosjean had been somewhat optimistically sitting in his Haas cockpit ready to go. He now climbs out.
Pascal Wehrlein is out in the pitlane with a hastily-constructed paper boat, complete with his #94 on it. It's not great at floating.
Rain
Rain continues to pound down, adding to the already ample puddles. This one might be a bit of a non-event.
Information
Race control says the start of this practice session will be delayed due to the conditions.
Welcome back to Autosport Live. It's nearly time for second Japanese Grand Prix practice, but it's going to be a wet one.
Autosport
Here's the full report from that first session, back with you for second practice in just over two hours:

Sebastian Vettel leads crash-interrupted first Japanese GP practice

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel set the pace in first Japanese Grand Prix practice, edging out Formula 1 title rival Lewis Hamilton in a session interrupted by Carlos Sainz Jr crashing heavily

Sebastian Vettel leads crash-interrupted first Japanese GP practice
Information
The rest: 11 Magnussen; 12 Alonso; 13 Perez; 14 Stroll; 15 Palmer; 16 Massa; 17 Sainz; 18 Gasly; 19 Wehrlein; 20 Ericsson
Checkered flag
The chequered flag is out to end that officially.
Information
Final result: 1 Vettel; 2 Hamilton; 3 Ricciardo; 4 Raikkonen; 5 Bottas; 6 Verstappen; 7 Ocon; 8 Hulkenberg; 9 Grosjean; 10 Vandoorne
And that's everyone back in the pits. There's a minute to go but the session is effectively over.
With the weather getting a touch worse and not many minutes left, the track is getting quieter - just four cars left out now.
Radio Comms
Williams tells Massa that there are places where "the rain is coming down quite heavily".
The race control computer is still sporadically reporting different corners getting slippery as drizzle intensifies.
Going into the final five minutes, with Vettel still on top ahead of Hamilton and Ricciardo.
Radio Comms
Ferrari advises Raikkonen to lift off more, as rear brake temperatures are high.
Radio Comms
Haas asks Magnussen to slow down and pit as he "has the same problem as before". That'll be a water pressure worry.
A slight improvement from Gasly but he says 18th, just behind crash-sidelined team-mate Sainz.
Sainz arrives back in the pits after his big crash.

Sainz arrives back in the pits after his big crash.

Magnussen improves to split the McLarens and go 11th.
Radio Comms
Weather report from Verstappen: "It's still drizzling a bit at the back of the track".
Stroll improves and goes 13th, which is three places and 0.3s ahead of team-mate Massa.
Radio Comms
"I feel a lot of bouncing," Stroll tells Williams.
Improvement from Ocon, who leaps up from the midfield to seventh ahead of Hulkenberg, Grosjean and the McLarens.

By: Geoff Creighton

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