presented by
2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987 1986 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1975 1974 1973 1972 1971 1970 1969 1968 1967 1966 1965 1964 1963 1962 1961 1960 1959 1958 1957 1956 1955 1954 1953 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1947 1939 1938 1937 1936 1935 1934 1933 1931 1930 1929 1927 1925 1923 1922 1921 1914 1913 1912
Japanese GP
Bahrain GP Saudi Arabian GP Australian GP
Japanese GP
Chinese GP Miami GP Emilia Romagna GP Monaco GP Canadian GP Spanish GP Austrian GP British GP Hungarian GP Belgian GP Dutch GP Italian GP Azerbaijan GP Singapore GP United States GP Mexican GP Brazilian GP Las Vegas GP Qatar GP Abu Dhabi GP
2024 Formula 1 Japanese GP
Apr 5, 2024 to Apr 7, 2024
| Suzuka, JP
Overview Live Commentary Results News Videos
Live text
Formula 1 Japanese GP
F1 Japanese GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP1 & FP2
Friday's action from the fourth round of the 2024 Formula 1 season.
Live
Chat
Live Standings
presented by
Stopped
Summary
View more Show Less
Live Text
Sort by Oldest first Newest first
02:13:32 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Lewis Hamilton is the first man to be convinced and duly heads out on the track on a medium tyre. Others appear happy to let him be the guinea pig.
02:11:21 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
As if to cajole the teams into action, the timing screens now say that there are 'normal grip conditions'.
Breaking news
02:10:25 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
At least Oscar Piastri is in the cockpit of the McLaren with his helmet on. But no signs yet of anybody looking to give the fans a show so far. So how about a long read while we wait? For Plus subscribers, Adam Cooper chatted to former F1 racer Sakon Yamamoto about his unusual career that has led to public office in Japan.
02:08:17 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
The teams' reticence to head out does remind me a little of the scene in Rat Race, when gambling magnate Donald Sinclair exasperatedly proclaims that Breckin Meyer's character is winning the race to claim a duffel bag of $2m because he is the closest to the door.
02:06:20 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
The RB team is spoiled for choice with reserve drivers this weekend. It has the usual occupant of that role Liam Lawson on stand-by, while Ayumu Iwasa filled in for FP1 in Daniel Ricciardo's car for his first official F1 practice session on home soil. He certainly didn't disgrace himself in ending up 16th.
Ayumu Iwasa, VCARB 01
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
02:04:03 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
We're having to be a little patient here, as are the Japanese fans. Teams will have to weigh up the risk/reward factor of potentially seeing a driver skate off the road as they seek to gather as much useful data as they can. Question is, how much useful information will be on offer in such conditions?
02:01:47 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
It must be said though, the track doesn't by any means look undriveable. It's certainly not anything like as bad as 1994, for instance.
Lights green
02:00:59 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
As a result, there isn't a great deal in the way of drivers looking to rush out of the pits as the session officially begins. TV shots show Alonso, Verstappen and Russell out of their cars chatting amiably to team personnel.
Rain
01:59:44 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
After dry running earlier, the timing screens inform us that the risk of rain for this session is, erm, 100%. The track has been classed as wet, for fans of equations.
01:58:27 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
As a reminder, the tyre allocation this weekend is towards the harder end of the range. The soft is the C3, the medium the C4, and the hard the C5. Not surprising due to the tortuous strains exerted on the cars through the opening series of Esses, the double-left Spoon curve and the famous 130R blast that in modern F1 cars is taken flat out.
01:56:31 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
So that means 19 cars will be on track for FP2, and Williams will again be on the back foot without as much long-run data to call on. Its hopes will be squarely on the shoulders of Alex Albon for this session.
01:55:01 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
F1 is a fast-moving thing isn't it? Moments after sharing that story with Vowles' comments in the team principals press conference, it was announced by Williams that Sargeant will not participate in FP2 as his damaged car is repaired (again). A statement says: "Due to the extent of damage to Logan’s car, he will not participate in FP2. The team will continue repairs in time for tomorrow’s Free Practice session."
Logan Sargeant, Williams FW46, climbs out of his damaged car after a crash in FP1
Photo by: Sam Bloxham / Motorsport Images
Breaking news
01:52:34 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
The other major story to emerge from this morning was the latest hiccup at Williams. Now driving the repaired chassis that Alex Albon crashed heavily in Melbourne's FP1, Logan Sargeant's return to the cockpit didn't go to plan when he crashed to bring out red flags earlier on. But Williams boss James Vowles stresses it survived intact. More on that here.
Breaking news
01:50:31 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
The eagle-eyed among you will have spotted that Red Bull's car features some intriguing changes to its cooling layout this weekend. You can read more about that here.
01:49:21 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
The Red Bull driver has won each of the last two editions of the Japanese Grand Prix since its return to the calendar after COVID denied us the 2020 and 2021 races. In fact, the last time Verstappen wasn't in the winning car at Suzuka, it was Valtteri Bottas aboard a Mercedes in 2019. And Verstappen's chart-topping FP1 time was a warning shot that he'll be the man to beat again this weekend.
01:46:49 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
The Suzuka circuit is one of the most challenging, and therefore rewarding, drivers' tracks on the calendar. A regularly cited track by drivers in our weekly Friday favourite series, its combination of fast sweepers is a pleasure to take in. And FP1 was an early indication that it will be an enjoyable one for Max Verstappen too.
01:45:18 am
Copy link
Share on Viber
Welcome back to Autosport's live text coverage from the Japanese Grand Prix, as we begin our build-up to FP2.
11:48:30 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
With that, we'll take a quick breather ahead of second practice which will start at 7am BST. Time for some breakfast/coffee/sleep (delete as appropriate). Go well!
Breaking news
11:46:31 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Here's the full report on Japanese GP FP1.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing RB20
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
11:39:46 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
So, advantage Red Bull? Or is it too early to tell? Probably one for the 'bit of both' brigade.
Quote
11:36:46 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
"OK Ayumu, that was a clean session, you should be pleased, good job," Iwasa is told over team radio at the end of his rookie run. "Thank you so much for having me and this opportunity," he replies. What a polite young man, my nan would be a fan.
11:33:32 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
11:32:27 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Verstappen leads a Red Bull 1-2 in opening practice, with a 0.181s gap over Perez. Then comes Sainz, fresh from his Australia win, with both Mercedes drivers splitting him from Ferrari team-mate Leclerc in sixth. Then comes Alonso, Piastri and Tsunoda.
Checkered flag
11:30:59 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Perez, who has enough time for an out-lap and an in-lap, also makes a move on to the hard tyres. But that is your lot as the chequered flag is out to signal the end of FP1.
11:28:49 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Leclerc has joined Verstappen in some exploratory hard tyre runs in the closing minutes of this session.
11:27:50 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Our sole rookie in this session is continuing to do a solid job at RB. Iwasa is 15th and his personal best is nine-tenths of a second off team-mate Tsunoda as he continues to build speed.
11:24:38 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
To underline that fact, Verstappen has switched onto the hard tyres, as his place at the top of the times looks assured.
11:22:20 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Into the final 10 minutes of FP1 and most drivers have switched focus to some long-run data gathering. Perez's previous lap was half a second slower than his personal best which hints at a quick drop off on the softs.
11:19:41 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
With Sainz third, then comes the pair of Mercedes, with Russell fourth and Hamilton fifth, and then Leclerc in sixth.
Stopwatch
11:17:31 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
What can Red Bull's rivals reply with? Sainz is the best of the rest so far, a 1m30.269s putting him third and two-tenths off Verstappen's outright lap time.
Stopwatch
11:16:03 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Verstappen goes fastest with a 1m30.056s, followed by his team-mate Perez with a 1m30.237s, to make it a Red Bull 1-2.
11:14:21 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Hulkenberg has been shown the black and white flag for crossing the white line at pit exit. Nothing too serious will come of it as it is FP1, just a warning not to do it again.
Lights green
11:13:17 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
FP1 is back under way with just under 18 minutes to go. That's caused a bit of a stampede to get going again having lost a chunk of time that was set to be spent on the softs.
Photo
11:12:03 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
One of our trackside team, Ronald Vording, gained a knack of being a crash magnet last year, and it appears the same is true this year. He was trackside when Sargeant went off.
Photo by: Ronald Vording
11:08:40 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
As we mentioned earlier in the session, Williams will have no spare chassis ready until the Miami GP, so if Sargeant's car isn't repairable that will be his weekend over. All eyes will be on the Williams garage during the lunch break.
11:07:16 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Williams faces a hefty rebuild job for a second Friday practice in succession - with Albon's off in Australia combined with its lack of spare chassis triggering the end of Sargeant's weekend. Has the same thing just happened, but this time the American the cause of his own downfall?
Crash
11:04:47 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
TV replays show Sargeant goes wide at Turn 7, the exit of the S curves at the end of the first sector, and once on the grass he loses control and it sends him into the barrier. A heavy first hit with the front is followed by a second heft knock from the rear.
11:02:41 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
The American driver reports he is OK over team radio before he steps out of the car. On first look he's wrecked the front wing and picked up damage to the rear wing.
Red flag
11:00:48 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Uh oh! Sargeant has crashed and that has caused a red flag!
11:00:14 pm
Copy link
Share on Viber
Newey, with trusty red notepad in hand, is carefully watching over Perez's Red Bull as set-up tweaks are made in the garage. I bet a few F1 teams would love a flick through those notes.
Pagination
1
2
3
By: Autosport Staff
Published: Apr 5, 2024, 6:13 AM
Lap:
Copy link
Share on Viber