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A week after Red Bull’s record run was snapped in Singapore, Formula One world championship rolls onto the land of the rising sun and the universally beloved Suzuka circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix. Tune in on The Roar from 3pm (AEST) for live blog coverage and lap-by-lap updates.
The only figure of eight circuit on the calendar, Suzuka is a unique challenge for the drivers who often hail it as being of the best tracks in the world. The 5.8-kilometre run is a blend of high-speed technical turns and flow, meaning little rest is afforded across the 53-lap race.
Unlike the usual mix of rain and typhoon conditions accustomed to F1 visits in Japan, the Mie Prefecture where Suzuka is situated is enduring a hot spell with temperatures set to soar to 30 degrees on race day.
This has brought with it another challenge of tyre management, as the Pirelli have brought the hardest tyres in their range for this event.
Such has been the degradation, even on the medium and hard compounds through practice, that a three-stop race cannot be ruled out.
High tyre wear is not something the likes of Singapore race winner Carlos Sainz wants to hear, as the Ferrari inherently still suffers greater on the Pirellis than the likes of their immediate rivals in McLaren and Mercedes.
After their weekend in the wilderness last time, Red Bull and Max Verstappen are firmly back at the top and are favourites to resume regular programming. Red Bull have the opportunity too, to seal the constructor’s championship – if they score more than a one point against Mercedes and Ferrari don’t outscore them by 24 points.
Boosted by a fresh Honda power-unit in front of their home crowd, Verstappen emphatically took pole without challenge, with a 0.581-second lead over Oscar Piastri in the McLaren – who has his first front-row start in a Grand Prix.
Both McLarens start in the top three, with their race pace looking more favourable than that of Ferrari, who’s drivers in Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz ended up being split by Sergio Perez in the other Red Bull.
Homegrown talent in Yuki Tsunoda celebrated the news of his re-signing with AlphaTauri for 2024, with a ninth place result in qualifying. Points possible for the Japanese driver, as for his teammate Liam Lawson who missed Q3 by hundredths of a second – as well as a race seat next year to Daniel Ricciardo.
Race Information
Lights out: 3pm (AEST)
Venue: Suzuka Circuit, Mie Prefecture
TV: Fox Sports
Online: Kayo Sports
Grid
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull), 2. Oscar Piastri (McLaren), 3. Lando Norris (McLaren), 4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), 5. Sergio Perez (Red Bull), 6. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), 7. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), 8. George Russell (Mercedes), 9. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri), 10. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), 11. Liam Lawson (AlphaTauri), 12. Pierre Gasly (Alpine), 13. Alexander Albon (Williams), 14. Esteban Ocon (Alpine), 15. Kevin Magnussen (Haas), 16. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo), 17. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), 18. Nico Hülkenberg (Haas), 19. Guanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo), 20. Logan Sargeant (Williams)
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