2018 Formula 1 Japanese GP
Japanese Grand Prix race day
Live Text
Sort by
That gives Raikkonen a run at Verstappen for third again but there's no space for him to get through at the chicane.
Crash
Vettel has a go at Verstappen for third into Spoon, they touch and Vettel spins!
Twitter
Vettel had a slight look at Verstappen's third place into the first corner at the restart but didn't have a realistic chance.
Green flag
Hamilton keeps the lead with no trouble at all at the restart.
Radio Comms
Gasly reports a fire on Grosjean's car.
Hamilton backs the pack up long before the 130R and is now weaving before going for it.
Information
With Magnussen having been let through to unlap himself, this will be the final lap behind the safety car.
Radio Comms
"Best chance in this race is attacking the cars ahead, some cars behind have pitted for mediums," Force India tells eighth-placed Perez.
Magnussen has been cleared to unlap himself and race round to the back of the safety car train.
Twitter
Radio Comms
Verstappen's reaction to that penalty: "What the ****... Honestly... I tried to do the best he could. He tried to go around the outside of me, he could have just waited."
Information
The incident between Leclerc and Magnussen is being review by the stewards.
Verstappen's penalty will be taken at his first pitstop, which means Vettel should leap past him into third at that point.
That penalty for Verstappen is for the incident with Raikkonen where he clashed with the Ferrari as he rejoined after running off at the chicane.
Crash
Vertappen is given a 5s time penalty for "leaving the track and not rejoining safely".
Pit stop
Sauber mechanics are out in the pitlane, preparing to change Leclerc's front wing. He takes a set of mediums. Sirotkin has also been in to switch to the mediums.
Twitter
Information
Order under safety car: 1 Hamilton; 2 Bottas; 3 Verstappen; 4 Vettel; 5 Raikkonen; 6 Grosjean; 7 Gasly; 8 Perez; 9 Ocon; 10 Ricciardo; 11 Hartley; 12 Sainz; 13 Leclerc; 14 Alonso; 15 Hulkenberg; 16 Stroll; 17 Ericsson; 18 Sirotkin; 19 Vandoorne; 20 Magnussen
Twitter
A replay of the start shows Vettel jumped both Toro Rossos very quickly as he got off the line. Gasly did a strong job to hang on around the outside of Turns 1 and 2, but then had to give the place up.
Yellow flag
The safety car has been deployed because of Magnussen's debris.
Ricciardo now gets around the outside of Hartley at Spoon and is up into the top 10.
Crash
Race control says it is investigating the contact between Raikkonen and Verstappen.
Twitter
Ricciardo has made good progress in the opening laps and is up to 11th from 15th.
Radio Comms
"Magnussen has a puncture and he's putting debris around the track - keep an eye out for it," Mercedes warns Hamilton.
Information
Hamilton now leads Bottas by 2.5s on lap three, with Verstappen another 2s back in third.
Crash
Puncture for Magnussen, who's struggling back round the lap. Replays show he moved over on the straight to defend from Leclerc, who had little option but to run into the back of the Haas.
Radio Comms
Raikkonen is clear on team radio that Verstappen "drove into me".
Raikkonen wasn't even looking at Verstappen that realistically, but the Red Bull locked up on its own, went onto the grass, bumped over the kerbs and then bumped into Raikkonen. Vettel wasted no time in getting between them.
So Grosjean remains in the 'Class B' lead fro Gasly, while the Force Indas of Perez and Ocon are eighth and ninth and Hartley - who started sixth - has already shipped four places from his start spot.
Crash
Raikkonen takes a look at Verstappen on the outside into the chicane, Verstappen runs wide and then defends heavily and bangs wheels with the Ferrari. Vettel sweeps past his team-mate into fourth!
Vettel forces his way past Grosjean into fifth at the kink between the hairpin and Spoon - very forceful and very effective.
So it's Hamilton leading from Bottas, Verstappen, Raikkonen, Grosjean and Vettel is ahead of Gasly in sixth.
Lights green
Hamilton moves across and covers Bottas, Vettel looks like he's cleared the Toro Rossos by the first corner.
The lights begin to come on...
Twitter
Qualifying crasher Marcus Ericsson pulls up to complete the grid.
By: Geoff Creighton
Published:
Lap:
