Japanese Grand Prix highlights: Verstappen wins title amid outrage over Gasly incident
Max Verstappen wrapped up this year's Drivers' Championship title as Charles Leclerc was penalised after taking the chequered flag at a shortened Japanese Grand Prix.
Formula One preview: A lap of the Japanese Grand Prix
Max Verstappen managed to clinch this year's Drivers' Championship title after winning a shortened Japanese Grand Prix, which was subjected to lengthy delays due to heavy rain. The Dutchman claimed the end-of-season honours after Charles Leclerc, who crossed the line in second place, was given a retrospective five-second time penalty for leaving the track and gaining an advantage as he tussled with Sergio Perez on the final lap.
The wet conditions forced a two-hour stoppage when the race was red-flagged just three laps after the original start time. A chaotic opening lap saw Carlos Sainz spin out and Alex Albon suffer a mechanical failure, while Pierre Gasly was left furious after coming close to striking a recovery vehicle that he was unable to see ahead of him due to the non-existent visibility.
The race eventually got back underway after a delay that lasted for more than two hours, with Verstappen producing a near-faultless performance to claim yet another victory after pulling away from Leclerc and Perez with ease. He initially looked set to be denied the title until the United States Grand Prix later this month, but Leclerc's post-race penalty handed the end-of-season honours to the 25-year-old to spark wild celebrations in the Red Bull garage.
Follow Express Sport's live updates from the Japanese Grand Prix below.
KEY EVENTS
- Full results10:00
- VERSTAPPEN WINS THE CHAMPIONSHIP!09:14
- VERSTAPPEN WINS!09:06
- Verstappen retakes the lead08:31
- Back underway - Verstappen holds lead08:24
- Here we go (again)08:15
- Red flag06:10
- Safety car06:07
- LIGHTS OUT! Verstappen holds lead06:05
- Starting grid05:50
- Good morning05:00
Perez fumes over tractor incident
Sergio Perez has insisted in no uncertain terms that he was not happy about the early incident that saw Pierre Gasly steer clear of a collision with a recovery vehicle that he was unable to see in the torrential conditions.
"That’s the lowest point we’ve seen in the sport for years," Perez tells Sky Sports F1.
"What happened today just makes me so angry. I just hope ever in the sport we never get to see this situation ever again.
"We saw what happened here a few years ago with our friend Jules [Bianchi] and absolutely I don’t care about what was the reason for that. It should never happen again, ever in any category."
Gasly given post-race penalty
Pierre Gasly has been handed a retrospective 20-second penalty, to be added to his race time, for speeding under red flag conditions.
The punishment refers to the controversial moment when the Frenchman came agonisingly close to crashing into a recovery vehicle on the edge of the track before the two-hour delay.
Gasly has also been hit with two penalty points.
New Document: Offence - Car 10 - Red Flag Incident in T12
\u2014 FIA F1 Documents Bot (@fiadocsbot) October 9, 2022
Published at 09.10.22 11:47 CEThttps://t.co/2YgPOkFjNf#F1 #Formula1 pic.twitter.com/8B5BLxSA7p
How the confusion unfolded
Here's a look at the moment Max Verstappen was informed that he had won this year's Drivers' Championship title after Charles Leclerc's retrospective five-second penalty...
The moment Max found out he was world champ \ud83d\ude4c#JapaneseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/nQD8oVaplD
\u2014 Formula 1 (@F1) October 9, 2022
More from Hamilton
"Congrats to Max," adds Hamilton in a sporting acknowledgement of Max Verstappen's latest title win.
"I think for us, we know what the problems are with this car. I believe that we as a team, we've not gone from being world champions to not being able to build a good car.
"I have no doubts we'll build a better car next year. Whether or not we rectify the issues from this year, we'll find out when we get there."
Hamilton: I did my best
"I don’t feel frustrated, it was a sprint race," says Lewis Hamilton after registering a fifth-placed finish at Suzuka.
"I think I did the best I could and I’m happy we got some points today. We were just so slow in a straight line. I was getting close, as close as I could, and as soon as I pulled out they would just pull away.
"I wish it was a longer race. I’m glad we got some laps for the fans here, although it’s not really a massive race for them considering how long they’ve waited. Onto the next one."
Ferrari to appeal Leclerc penalty?
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto has suggested that Charles Leclerc's post-race penalty will be appealed, with the 52-year-old branding the decision 'unacceptable'.
"We will talk about it in the appropriate places but this decision taken without even listening to drivers is unacceptable as there was no advantage gained," Binotto is quoted as saying by Sky Italy.
"Today it took them a moment to give the penalty to Leclerc. Three hours in Singapore with Sergio Perez, poor guy, who couldn't even follow the safety car.
"Two identical infractions, but different penalties. Congratulations to Max for the victory and for the championship, he drove in an excellent way."
Full results
Here's the full rundown of the provisional race classification from Suzuka...
#F1 - Provisional Classification of the Japanese Grand Prix \ud83c\uddef\ud83c\uddf5 \u2b07#JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/L0hpBW6DJb
\u2014 FIA (@fia) October 9, 2022
Horner: Max on another level
"We thought it wasn’t going to be full points awarded," Red Bull team principal Christian Horner tells Sky Sports F1.
"We thought we were one point short. We were looking at pitting him for the fastest lap and so on. Wow, that’s beyond all our dreams.
"Max has been truly, truly dominant. That’s our 14th victory, a record for us, and the way he has driven since the first race…
"We came back from some difficulties in the first couple of races, but he and the team have just raised it to another level."
Verstappen: Very mixed emotions
"It's crazy, very mixed emotions," says a visibly confused but delighted Max Verstappen when quizzed on his thoughts after becoming a two-time world champion.
"Looking back, what a year we've had so far. It's been incredible. It's something I could never have imagined.
"After last year, fighting until the end, and then having such a good car again this year. I'm so thankful to everyone who has been contributing to this success."
More on title confusion
Nobody was really sure whether Max Verstappen had clinched the end-of-season honours after the chequered flag until it was eventually confirmed that full points had been awarded.
"There was an incredible scene on this Red Bull pit wall," says Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz.
"While the mechanics and engineers were running up to the pit lane, Max Verstappen's own team manager Jonathan Wheatley was reading the rules to check the interpretation that Formula One had done that made Max Verstappen world champion."
VERSTAPPEN WINS THE CHAMPIONSHIP!
That penalty for Charles Leclerc hands Max Verstappen the Drivers' Championship title, sparking wild celebrations from his Red Bull colleagues!
It has been confirmed that full points will be awarded in spite of the lengthy delays at Suzuka today.
What a bizarre way for the title race to end!
Max Verstappen, you are a DOUBLE WORLD CHAMPION \ud83d\udc51\ud83d\udc51 pic.twitter.com/mViZ5woEit
\u2014 Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) October 9, 2022
Leclerc given five-second penalty
Charles Leclerc has been given a five-second penalty, which drops him to third and means that...
Leclerc under investigation
Charles Leclerc has been placed under investigation by the race stewards for leaving the track and gaining an advantage during his last-lap tussle with Sergio Perez.
It remains to be seen whether the Ferrari driver will be retrospectively stripped of his second-placed finish.
VERSTAPPEN WINS!
It was all too easy for Max Verstappen, who crosses the line to win the Japanese Grand Prix for the first time in his career!
Charles Leclerc somehow manages to claim second place with some heavy-handed defending to prevent Sergio Perez from passing him just metres before the line.
Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, fails to get around Esteban Ocon and is forced to settle for a fifth-placed finish.
VERSTAPPEN WINS AT SUZUKA!!!
\u2014 Formula 1 (@F1) October 9, 2022
Leclerc finishes second, Perez takes third#JapaneseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/Gjc6InwlAX
Final lap
The clock has finally run down and there will be one more lap of racing before the chequered flag drops.
Max Verstappen remains well clear of Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez and looks set to cruise to victory if he can keep his car on the track over the next few moments.
Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, is still behind Esteban Ocon and is running out of time to pull off a move on the Frenchman...
Perez right on Leclerc's tail
Sergio Perez is all over the back of Charles Leclerc, who is struggling to keep his Red Bull counterpart at arm's length.
Will the Mexican driver be able to pull off a late move for second place at some point over the next few laps?
Three minutes to go...
Russell sweeps past Latifi
George Russell pulls off another brave move around the outside at Turn Six to get ahead of Nicholas Latifi and up into eighth place.
Sergio Perez, meanwhile, is quickly closing in on Charles Leclerc and will be looking for an opportunity to pass the Ferrari man over the next 10 minutes.
Hamilton frustrated by Ocon
Lewis Hamilton is yet to find a way past Esteban Ocon, who is defending well to stay fourth as things stand.
The two drivers go side-by-side into 130-R but Hamilton is ultimately forced to yield in order to avoid contact.
He tries again on the very next lap but it's the same story, with Alpine enjoying a straight-line speed advantage over Mercedes at present.
Perez chasing Lecierc
Sergio Perez is chipping away at the gap to second-placed Charles Leclerc, who is lapping significantly slower than his Red Bull rivals.
The Ferrari man is now over 14 seconds behind Max Verstappen, who still leads, and will be desperately hoping to avoid losing his grip on second place over the next few laps.
There are just 13 minutes remaining until the end of this race...
Russell up into ninth
George Russell manages to sweep around the outside of Yuki Tsunoda to get into 10th place.
The Mercedes driver then wastes no time in passing Lando Norris for ninth in spite of the brake issues that are making things difficult for him.
Verstappen pulling away
Max Verstappen is now over seven seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc, who is struggling to keep up with the impressive pace of his Red Bull rival.
Further down the order, Lewis Hamilton is hot on the heels of fourth-placed Esteban Ocon, while George Russell is eyeing a move on Yuki Tsunoda as he looks to climb into the top 10.
However, the latter is complaining about a potential brake problem via team radio.
P1 and P3 \ud83d\udc4f Max has a 7 second lead to LEC with 25 minutes to go \u23f1\ufe0f pic.twitter.com/1FjnXoCMqp
\u2014 Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) October 9, 2022
Schumacher tumbles down the order
Mick Schumacher is the only driver still on extreme wet tyres and is paying the price for failing to stop for intermediates.
He was leading the race only a few minutes ago but drops to 11th before finally diving into the pit lane.
Hamilton battles Schumacher
Lewis Hamilton pulls off a brilliant move around the outside of Mick Schumacher to get himself up into fifth place.
The pair were scrapping it out for the vast majority of the lap but the latter was eventually forced to give up the position in spite of his best efforts.
Verstappen retakes the lead
Fernando Alonso finally pits for new intermediate tyres to surrender the race lead.
At the same time, Max Verstappen breezes past Mick Schumacher to retake his position at the very front of the order.
Charles Leclerc then gets around the Haas driver to move into second, but the Ferrari man is already five seconds adrift of Verstappen.
Drivers pitting for intermediates
Lando Norris and Valtteri Bottas also decide to pit for intermediates, with the standing water quickly clearing from the racing line.
Max Verstappen, George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and several others follow suit on the very next lap.
The gaggle of drivers in the pit lane sees Fernando Alonso take the lead after staying out, with Daniel Ricciardo second and Mick Schumacher up in third as things stand.
Back underway - Verstappen holds lead
We're racing again at Suzuka!
Max Verstappen manages to pull clear of Charles Leclerc at the restart and holds his advantage into Turn One.
Meanwhile, Sebastian Vettel and Nicholas Latifi have pitted straight away for intermediate tyres.
They almost came together in the pit lane, though, and the stewards have noted a potentially unsafe release.
Visibility still poor
A number of drivers are complaining about the spray being generated by the extreme wet tyres, which are capable of shifting more than 80 litres of water each second.
The safety car is preparing to return to the pit lane at the end of this lap, though...
Hamilton eager to race
"Track is really good," says Lewis Hamilton via team radio.
There will be a rolling start procedure, as opposed to a standing start, when the circuit is deemed suitable for the competitive action to resume.
Here we go (again)
The drivers are beginning to file out of the pit lane behind the safety car, which is expected to lead the way for at least a few laps.
Max Verstappen remains at the front of the pack, with Charles Leclerc in second and Sergio Perez third.
Esteban Ocon sits just in front of fifth-placed Lewis Hamilton, while George Russell is following Fernando Alonso, who finds himself in sixth.
It goes without saying that all drivers are now sporting the blue-walled extreme wet tyres.
\ud83d\udfe2 GREEN LIGHT \ud83d\udfe2
\u2014 Formula 1 (@F1) October 9, 2022
The Safety Car leads out the drivers #JapaneseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/NGW4TMGrba
Race to resume
Today's race will get back underway in 10 minutes' time at 8.15am.
The drivers are now rushing around the pit lane to climb back into their cars in preparation for the restart.
There is just under an hour remaining on the race clock, meaning that a reduced number of championship points will be awarded when the chequered flag drops.
HERE. WE. GO.
\u2014 Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) October 9, 2022
The #JapaneseGP will restart in 10 minutes! LET\u2019S GO! \ud83d\udc4c#WeAreWilliams
Hamilton: Let's get going
"Let's get going... give it a shot. We'll know immediately if it's drivable or not," says Lewis Hamilton on Instagram.
There is still no update from race control, though.
Brundle weighs in on Gasly row
Martin Brundle has echoed the sentiments of many by questioning the presence of the recovery vehicle on the edge of the track in near-zero visibility...
Should have been an instant red flag with a stricken car in a critical position in those conditions. Clearly debris on track too. Should NEVER EVER be a tractor on track until the cars are all collected up behind a safety car or in the pits. Gasly can\u2019t take all the blame here
\u2014 Martin Brundle (@MBrundleF1) October 9, 2022
Conditions improving
The skies above Suzuka appear to have brightened up in the last few moments and the medical car is currently navigating the circuit to test the conditions.
However, we are yet to hear from race control about a possible restart as things stand.
Alpine team principal Otmar Szafnauer wants to see the drivers get going again, as he tells Sky Sports F1: "I think we should go behind the safety car on extreme wet tyres and see what it’s like."
Horner: Totally unacceptable
"It's totally unacceptable, we lost Jules Bianchi here, what was it, five or six years ago? That should never ever happen," says Red Bull team principal Christian Horner.
"There needs to be a full investigation as to why a recovery vehicle was on circuit. Checo reported it to us.
"In those horrendous conditions when visibility is zero, it's extremely dangerous.
"The virtual safety car was brought in for a reason following that awful accident all those years ago. There needs to be a full, full investigation into why that vehicle was on track because it obviously shouldn't have been there."
Verstappen's title hopes put on hold
The delays at Suzuka could well prevent Max Verstappen from clinching the Drivers' Championship honours today, with not enough time left to complete 75 per cent of the original race distance.
The Dutchman is now likely to be forced to wait until the United States Grand Prix in a fortnight's time to rubber-stamp his second title in as many years.
Seidl: I don't think we can race
"To be honest I think it's quite a pessimistic outlook," McLaren team principal Andreas Seidl tells Sky Sports F1.
"The weather forecast says it will continue to rain. I don't think we can start this race and go racing. Visibility is so poor with these cars.
"It's clear what happened there [with the recovery vehicle] must not happen. It's for discussions with the FIA and race directors behind closed doors and we need to work with them on that."
Norris issues damning statement
Lando Norris has taken to Twitter to offer his thoughts on the recovery vehicle incident that angered Pierre Gasly with a firmly-worded review...
Wtf. How\u2019s this happened!? We lost a life in this situation years ago. We risk our lives, especially in conditions like this. We wanna race. But this\u2026 Unacceptable.
\u2014 Lando Norris (@LandoNorris) October 9, 2022
Gasly summoned to stewards
Pierre Gasly has been summoned to the stewards in relation to the earlier incident when he drove past a recovery vehicle on the edge of the circuit at high speed.
The AlphaTauri driver is being looked at for 'speeding under red flag conditions'.
Albon questions decision to race
"I don’t really understand why we went racing to begin with," Alex Albon, who suffered a mechanical failure before the red-flag period, tells Sky Sports F1.
"We could only see maybe 10 metres in front of us at the very most. The cars at the back, we were kind of doing pinball just because we couldn’t see the track edge, so we were just going left to right down the straight not really knowing where the track was.
"That was what happened to me, I couldn’t see where I was on track and I touched with another car, which of course I didn’t see.
"It’s a tricky one. We don’t want Spa to happen again but at the same time, conditions like this are genuinely dangerous. Even that car with Carlos in the middle of the track, I’m really surprised no one went into it flat out."
Heavy rain still falling
The rain is still lashing down at Suzuka, with a restart still a long way off as things stand.
There will be a minimum notice period of 10 minutes when the race is eventually given the green light to resume.
Dedication \ud83e\udd1d Suzuka fans
\u2014 Formula 1 (@F1) October 9, 2022
\ud83d\ude0d#JapaneseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/5XLHZRTbTW
Sainz weighs in on Gasly incident
"Still behind the safety car, we’re going at 150kph, and still we cannot see anything," says Carlos Sainz, who crashed out of the race prior to the red flags.
"If a driver has small aquaplaning, or gets out of the racing line and hits a tractor, it’s over. I still don’t know why in these conditions we keep risking having a tractor on track, because it’s just worthless.
"If you’re going to red flag it anyway, why risk it?"
FIA release statement
The FIA have released a statement to explain the incident that saw Pierre Gasly narrowly miss out on colliding with a recovery vehicle before returning to the pit lane.
"In relation to the recovery incident on lap three, the Safety Car had been deployed and the race neutralised," the statement reads.
"Car 10, which had collected damage and pitted behind the Safety Car, was driving at high speed to catch up to the field.
"As conditions were deteriorating, the Red Flag was shown before Car 10 passed the location of the incident where it had been damaged the previous lap."
Gasly's close shave comes seven years after Jules Bianchi was killed at Suzuka after crashing into a tractor in similarly wet conditions.
Questions will now be asked about why the recovery vehicle was so close to the circuit, with Gasly having passed it at speed in order to catch up to the safety car.
Restart suspended
The scheduled restart procedure has been postponed untli further notice, with the rain still falling as things stand.
"That's the worst possible timing for the teams as they had just queued the cars at the end of the pits," says Sky Sports F1 reporter Ted Kravitz.
"Race control must have seen something very heavy on the radar to do this."
Maybe not\u2026 Restart is suspended. https://t.co/pXpJZnJEX5
\u2014 Haas F1 Team (@HaasF1Team) October 9, 2022
Gasly left furious
Pierre Gasly was not happy after getting an advertising board stuck to the front of his car despite not leaving the track before the race was red-flagged.
He also came painfully close to colliding with a tractor and made his feelings known with an animated pit-lane rant upon his return to the garage.
"God! What the, what is this tractor, what is this tractor on track? I passed next to it," said the Frenchman. "This is unacceptable! What has happened?"
Alex Wurz, chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association, has since weighed in on the situation by tweeting: "I think we need to discuss a tractor on track... we can keep it short: this must NOT happen guys."
Race to resume shortly
It has been confirmed that the race will resume in 15 minutes' time with a rolling start procedure.
The drivers are set to complete at least one lap behind the safety car before the competitive action gets back underway.
The use of extreme wet tyres, rather than intermediates, will also be mandatory.
Safety car
The safety car has just returned to the pit lane after navigating the circuit to test the conditions, with the rain having eased up slightly over the last few moments.
The @MercedesAMG Safety Car is testing the track conditions \ud83d\udc40
\u2014 Formula 1 (@F1) October 9, 2022
It still looks very wet out there #JapaneseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/EQHJb5P74N
Heavy rain to stay?
"The forecast is looking pretty grim," says Lewis Hamilton's race engineer via team radio.
We are still under red flag conditions at Suzuka and it seems as though the race could be stopped for some time as the rain continues to lash down.
Driver visibility was almost non-existent before the action was paused and there is now plenty of standing water across the circuit and in the pit lane.
No sign of a restart yet
\u2014 Formula 1 (@F1) October 9, 2022
Currently lots and lots of rain \u2614\ufe0f\u2614\ufe0f\u2614\ufe0f#JapaneseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/6TiNUAJm4F
Current order
Here's a look at the running order just before the race was red-flagged, with Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon forced to retire early on...
We still have a red flag here at Suzuka
\u2014 Formula 1 (@F1) October 9, 2022
Here's how things stood as the drivers returned to the pit lane \ud83d\udc40#JapaneseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/xENkA7EtJM
Weather update
Heavy rain is expected to keep falling over the next 10 minutes before it is set to ease up, which could allow the race to resume in the not-too-distant future.
"With the rain intensifying, race control has taken the decision to bring out the red flag," says Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft.
"We feared this may happen. Sometimes the spray at Suzuka is just too bad."
Red flag
The red flags are out and the cars will return to the pit lane while Carlos Sainz's damaged car and Alex Albon's stricken Williams are removed from the circuit.
It seems as though we will be waiting for the rain to die down before getting back underway, with the conditions worsening at Suzuka as things stand.
Meanwhile, replays show that Sebastian Vettel was hit by Fernando Alonso at Turn One.
"Alonso hit me, very badly," says the German via team radio.
Safety car
Carlos Sainz is in the wall and out of this race! What a nightmare for the Spaniard.
Alex Albon is also stopped on the edge of the circuit and will take no further part in the on-track action.
The safety car has been deployed.
LAP 1/53
\u2014 Formula 1 (@F1) October 9, 2022
Sainz into the barriers!
The Spaniard has spun off and is out of the race \u274c#JapaneseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/uAOJNeWIu4
LIGHTS OUT! Verstappen holds lead
It's a poor start from Max Verstappen, who goes level-pegging with Charles Leclerc into Turn One!
He manages to hold his nerve around the outside, though, and stays ahead.
Further down the order, Sebastian Vettel spins out but manages to get going again without too much difficulty.
Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, loses a place to Fernando Alonso.
LAP 1/53
\u2014 Formula 1 (@F1) October 9, 2022
Verstappen powers ahead of Leclerc out of Turn 2#JapaneseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/HO8lNLbwdb
Here we go
The formation lap is underway and we're just seconds out in Japan, with every driver on the grid having opted for the green-walled intermediate tyres.
Starting grid
Here's a final reminder of today's grid order at Suzuka with the exception of Pierre Gasly, who will be starting from the pit lane.
We're just 10 minutes away from the start of the formation lap and the drivers are strapping themselves in and getting ready to go, with the rain expected to intensify during the second half of the race...
THE GRID
\u2014 Formula 1 (@F1) October 8, 2022
Here's how we line up for Sunday's race at Suzuka, after the closest qualifying session of the year!#JapaneseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/Xyav8palqb
Mercedes to struggle?
"It would be fascinating to see a GPS comparison between Mercedes and the likes of Alpine because they are losing so much time in a straight line," Formula E driver Sam Bird tells BBC Sport.
"When they are going down the front straight they are losing time, when they climb up the hill out of the fast left-hander winding up towards the end of sector one, they are losing time. When they go out of the straight towards 130-R, they are losing time.
"The speed that they get scrubbed when they are going through 130-R seems to be a lot greater than some, if not all, their main competitors.
"Through the corners they are not terrible, or on par at least with Alpine, but on a straight line they do seem to be struggling at the moment."
Verstappen plays down pressure
Max Verstappen does not appear to be feeling the heat despite having the chance to seal this year's Drivers' Championship title if things go his way before the chequered flag drops.
"We have to wait and see what the weather will do, I think it's going to be quite an interesting one," he tells Sky Sports F1.
"We need to to read the weather. At the moment it's really difficult. We just have to try and stay calm and do our best.
"Winning is nice, but at the end of the day it's more important that we win the championship, so there is no real extra pressure."
Gasly to start from pits
Pierre Gasly will be forced to start from the pit lane after changing his front-wing spec and setup after yesterday's qualifying session.
The Frenchman, who will leave AlphaTauri to join Alpine at the end of the season, failed to make it out of Q1 due to a brake problem and will certainly face an uphill battle to get in the points at Suzuka today.
Title permutations
Max Verstappen missed his first opportunity to clinch the Drivers' Championship title in Singapore last weekend but will be aiming to put things right at Suzuka by getting the job done today without too much fuss.
Here's a look at what needs to happen for the 25-year-old to rubber-stamp the honours today...
Will Sunday's #JapaneseGP be the day @Max33Verstappen secures championship number two? \u270c\ufe0f pic.twitter.com/gIN1QY6aOi
\u2014 Formula 1 (@F1) October 8, 2022
A wet start
Light rain is falling at Suzuka and it seems as though we could have a wet start to today's race, with the circuit quite damp in places.
It's not the sort of downpour that we saw in Singapore last weekend but could well be enough to shake things up when the five red lights go out.
Mercedes looked surprisingly quick in the wet conditions throughout Friday's second practice session — will the Silver Arrows be able to use the weather to their advantage this morning?
Qualifying report
Max Verstappen managed to grab pole position for the Japanese Grand Prix with a dominant performance in qualifying on Saturday morning.
He was forced to wait until after the session for confirmation on his front-row grid start, though, after being placed under investigation due to a close call with Lando Norris at the end of Q3.
The Dutchman lost the rear end as he attempted to warm up his tyres on his out lap close to the high-speed 130-R corner, which forced Norris to swerve onto the grass in order to avoid a heavy collision at the last moment.
However, a reprimand was the only punishment given to Verstappen after both drivers were summoned to the stewards, allowing him to keep pole for today's all-important race.
Catch up on what happened here.
Good morning
Hello and welcome to Express Sport's live coverage of this year's Japanese Grand Prix from the historic Suzuka circuit.
Max Verstappen starts from pole today and will be hoping to finally wrap up this year's Drivers' Championship title by taking the chequered flag and the fastest lap at the end of the 53-lap contest.
He will need to outscore Charles Leclerc by eight points and Sergio Perez by six points in order to clinch the end-of-season honours, but is likely to face a tough battle to stay ahead of the pack over the course of the race.
Both Ferrari drivers will be hot on his heels when the five red lights go out, while Perez or even the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell will be aiming to climb up the order and disrupt Verstappen's plan as much as possible.
We're just one hour away from lights out in Japan and will be providing live updates throughout the day's running, so grab a coffee and stay tuned!
Pick a winner... and your top three \u270d\ufe0f#JapaneseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/Vi8Kmm9a8G
\u2014 Formula 1 (@F1) October 9, 2022