Japanese GP Friday practice
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Hulkenberg goes 'best of the rest' in seventh for Renault, a hefty 0.7s clear of Alonso behind.
Crash
Verstappen has a big wobble mid-way through Spoon and runs out into the gravel at the second part of the corner. He rejoins, dustily.
Haas has been near the back for most of the morning, but Grosjean now pulls himself up to eighth.
Ben Anderson
Wehrlein is another who is lacking balance in his car at the moment. Every lap he has to catch a rear slide coming out of Turn 6. He's doing it consistently and it all looks under control, but by no means comfortable.
He probably needs to sacrifice a touch of front wing to get that car more stable
He probably needs to sacrifice a touch of front wing to get that car more stable
Stopwatch
Hamilton goes fastest with a 1m29.377s, but that's only 0.164s faster than Ricciardo. Red Bull looks to be in the hunt.
Autosport
Tough weekend likely for Sainz - news coming through of grid penalties already: 
Meanwhile Hamilton avoids drama and sets the fastest first sector time so far.
A replay shows how enormously sideways Bottas got over the Degner exit kerb. Well held.
That error for Bottas happened at the second Degner, and meant he stayed third despite finding a bit of time on his super-softs.
The Mercedes are now out on super-softs for the first time, Bottas having another big moment early on his lap.
While pacesetter Ricciardo is on super-softs, the Mercedes and Ferraris behind him all used softs for their laps.
McLaren now has both cars in the top 10 as Vandoorne goes ninth.
Radio Comms
"Still got too much front?" Red Bull asks Ricciardo. He says it is still too much, but now it's "close".
Information
Tail end: 16 Gasly; 17 Grosjean; 18 Magnussen; 19 Wehrlein; 20 Ericsson
Information
Midfield: 11 Vandoorne; 12 Perez; 13 Palmer; 14 Stroll; 15 Sainz
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Order: 1 Ricciardo; 2 Hamilton; 3 Bottas; 4 Raikkonen; 5 Vettel; 6 Verstappen; 7 Alonso; 8 Ocon; 9 Hulkenberg; 10 Massa
Alonso's first flying lap puts him seventh.
Stopwatch
Great lap from Ricciardo - he grabs first place with a 1m29.541s on super-softs, 0.501s ahead of Hamilton.
Radio Comms
Stroll tells Williams his rear tyres have had enough. He's done seven laps on softs.
Ben Anderson
Bit of a moment for Ricciardo over the exit kerb. He had to lift out of the throttle. He didn't work hard enough to get the car over to the right for Turn 7.
Marcus Ericsson always does a noticeably good job at this here - sacrificing 6 to get 7 right.
Hamilton puts more work in between the two to get the sane result.
Ricciardo likes to let his car flow but that can hurt you here sometimes. He needs to muscle it more.
Vettel has had wobbles coming out of Turn 6 on consecutive laps. Looks as though he's having to correct some rear sliding. Certainly the behaviour suggests Ferrari hasn't hit the balance sweet spot for that car straight away,
Marcus Ericsson always does a noticeably good job at this here - sacrificing 6 to get 7 right.
Hamilton puts more work in between the two to get the sane result.
Ricciardo likes to let his car flow but that can hurt you here sometimes. He needs to muscle it more.
Vettel has had wobbles coming out of Turn 6 on consecutive laps. Looks as though he's having to correct some rear sliding. Certainly the behaviour suggests Ferrari hasn't hit the balance sweet spot for that car straight away,
The only driver yet to do a time is Alonso, who spent a while back in the McLaren garage after his installation lap. But he's now back out.
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Raikkonen has taken third from Ferrari team-mate Vettel.
Radio Comms
Williams tells Stroll to watch out for Massa. The rookie replies "he got in my way that lap, I don't know why".
Bottas sets some fastest sector times, but can't depose Hamilton, coming in 0.185s adrift.
Vettel gets up to third, 0.599s off pacesetter Hamilton.
That Hulkenberg lap was on super-softs, though, while the Ferraris used softs.
Nico Hulkenberg splits the Ferraris to go sixth.
Hamilton takes the top spot back from Bottas again with a 1m30.042s, which is 0.475s faster.
Raikkonen and Vettel have now put in initial laps for fifth and sixth.
Verstappen goes second, 0.245s behind Bottas.
Odd moment for Bottas immediately after setting that time, as he drifts onto the grass approaching Turn 1 and has a big twitch.
Stopwatch
Bottas popped back to the Mercedes garage for a bit, but rejoins now and goes fastest with a 1m30.517s, 0.555s quicker than Hamilton.
The Haas of Kevin Magnussen and Romain Grosjean put in times, but they're 3s off the pace.
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Verstappen splits the Mercedes to go second, 0.363s behind Hamilton.
Ben Anderson
The Red Bull drivers are noticeably pressing on more than the Mercedes with these exploratory early laps. They're using more track width and taking a nibble of the exit kerb at Turn 7.
No T-wings on either the RB13, or the Renaults, so both have opted for lower downforce packages than Mercedes and Ferrari.
It's starting to spit with rain here now...
No T-wings on either the RB13, or the Renaults, so both have opted for lower downforce packages than Mercedes and Ferrari.
It's starting to spit with rain here now...
Ricciardo stays third, but is now within 0.651s of Hamilton.
Hamilton goes faster - a 1m31.072s pulls him 0.479s clear.
Information
Times so far: 1 Hamilton 1m31.544s; 2 Bottas +0.007s; 3 Ricciardo +0.828s; 4 Verstappen +1.339s
By: Geoff Creighton
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