F1 Japanese Grand Prix: A lap at the Suzuka International Racing Course
Max Verstappen has another chance to claim his second world title this weekend as Formula 1 returns to Suzuka for the first time since 2019 for the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Red Bull star, 104 points ahead of Charles Leclerc in the standings, will be crowned champion in Japan if he wins and sets the fastest lap on Sunday.
Verstappen is looking to bounce back from a disappointing weekend in Singapore, finishing seventh, while team-mate Sergio Perez took the win. Leclerc came in second, with Carlos Sainz in third.
Lewis Hamilton also endured a difficult Sunday in the Singapore rain, finishing ninth after crashing into the barriers, while Mercedes team-mate George Russell came home in last place. Hamilton, still looking for his first win of the season, has won five times in Japan. Fernando Alonso was fastest in the wet in FP1 on Friday with Russell leading a Mercedes one-two a few hours later in second practice.
Follow live with The Independent as George Russell leads a Mercedes one-two in FP2:
F1 PRACTICE – JAPANESE GRAND PRIX
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F1 news: Max Verstappen ‘starting from scratch’ after wet Japanese GP practice
Max Verstappen believes all drivers are “starting from scratch” this weekend after a wet race day at the Japanese Grand Prix. Wet conditions in both sessions meant that laps were limited, with the runaway World Championship leader coming home third in second practice after finishing sixth in FP1.
Verstappen has a 104-point lead over Charles Leclerc with five races remaining and can clinch his second world title by winning the race on Sunday and setting the fastest lap. However, with dry conditions expected for Saturday’s qualifying, the Red Bull star believes Friday’s sessions and timings will not make a huge difference.
“I would have liked it to be a bit more representative, but it’s always nice to be here,” Verstappen said. “Luckily, it wasn’t a total disaster with the weather; At least we could move around and do a little bit of things, but in terms of knowing where you are with the pace, in the wet it’s a bit tricky”.
Max Verstappen ‘starting from scratch’ after wet Japanese GP practice
Verstappen finished third in second practice on Friday but played down the importance of wet weather with dry conditions expected for qualifying.
Kieran Jackson October 7, 2022 3:30 pm
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F1 news: Charles Leclerc reflects on ‘very, very difficult’ start to Japanese Grand Prix weekend
Charles Leclerc described his start to the Japanese Grand Prix weekend as “very difficult” after a mixed day of practice at Suzuka. The Ferrari star, who enters this weekend within 104 points of Max Verstappen with five races remaining, is looking to extend the title race in Austin, Texas, in two weeks’ time.
The only way to guarantee that is by winning on Sunday, while finishing second would also prolong the championship battle should Verstappen not set the fastest lap if he wins.
However, the Monegasque admitted that Friday’s race – in wet conditions in Japan in contrast to the expected dry weather for Saturday’s qualifying – was far from ideal; he finished third in FP1 but was only 11th in second practice, 2.7 seconds off the pace set by Mercedes’ George Russell.
“FP1 was fun! FP2, no tyres, so less fun,” said Leclerc. “But overall it was a pretty good day, the feeling with the car is good, we’ll just have to put it all together tomorrow, but the feeling is good, so that’s a positive. FP2 was very, very difficult because the tires were completely flat. But there’s a lot to learn from today especially for the race, so it’s a positive Friday.”
Leclerc reflects on ‘very, very difficult’ start to Japanese Grand Prix weekend
Leclerc only finished 11th in wet second practice, 2.7 seconds off the pace set by George Russell.
Kieran Jackson October 7, 2022 2:59 p.m
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F1 news: Michael Schumacher’s world title-winning Ferrari to be put up for sale
Michael Schumacher’s 2003 world title-winning Ferrari is up for sale. The F2003-GA took the German to his fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship crown in an exceptionally tight racing season.
Schumacher pipped Kimi Raikkonen by just two points in a year that also saw Constructors’ Championship success for the Italian manufacturers. A sixth overall world title saw Schumacher overtake Juan Manuel Fangio as the most successful F1 driver in history.
The F2003-GA was a tweaked version of Ferrari’s 2002 car and bore the initials of Gianni Agnelli, the former Fiat boss who died in January 2003. Chassis #229 will be up for sale at prominent auction house Sotheby’s on November 9 in full court. – ready state
Michael Schumacher’s world title-winning Ferrari is going up for sale
The car will be auctioned at Sotheby’s on November 9
Kieran Jackson October 7, 2022 2:26 p.m
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F1 News: Max Verstappen reveals what he needs to win the F1 world title in Japan
Max Verstappen insists he needs the “perfect weekend” at the Japanese Grand Prix if he is to claim his second F1 world title at Suzuka.
The Red Bull driver has won 11 of 17 races so far this season and has a 104-point lead over Charles Leclerc with just five Grands Prix remaining. The 25-year-old will win the World Championship this Sunday if he wins the race and sets the fastest lap, while just a race win would secure the title if Leclerc finishes below second.
A possible 138 points are up for grabs until the end of the season: five race wins worth 25 points each, one fastest lap point in each and eight points for the winner of the sprint race in Sao Paulo.
However, Verstappen admitted in the pre-race press conference that he was not focusing too much on the permutations and was instead simply looking to perform to the best of his ability.
Max Verstappen reveals what he needs to win the F1 world title in Japan
The Red Bull driver has a 104-point lead over Charles Leclerc with just five races to play
Kieran Jackson October 7, 2022 1:56 p.m
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F1 news: ‘I’m not planning to go anywhere’: Lewis Hamilton could race for another five years
F1 news: ‘I’m not planning to go anywhere’: Lewis Hamilton could race for another five years
Lewis Hamilton has hinted he could race for another five years after Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff revealed the pair had recently spoken about their future. The seven-time world champion has one year left on his contract with Mercedes at the end of the current season.
Hamilton, 37, holds the record for most wins, pole positions and podiums in Formula 1 history and is tied with Michael Schumacher for most drivers’ championships. But it looks like it’s far from over, with Wolff revealing last weekend that “we sat down and he’s like, ‘Look, I’ve got five more years, how do you see that?’
Asked before the Japanese Grand Prix if that was his plan, Hamilton replied: “I haven’t spoken to him (Wolff) about his comments, but I can’t say yet. Possibly, yes, I feel good. I love what I’m doing. We’ve got a lot of work to do, a lot to accomplish yet. So I don’t plan on going anywhere, anytime soon.”
Wolff praised Hamilton as the “shining star on and off the track” in F1 and it was with an eye on his future outside the car that the Brit explained why he wants to stay in the sport for more than five more years
Lewis Hamilton hints he could compete for another five years
The seven-time world champion has one year left on his contract with Mercedes at the end of the current season
Kieran Jackson October 7, 2022 1:28 p.m
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F1 news: Ferrari boss reveals why he believes F1’s ‘credibility’ is at stake
Ferrari team principal Mattia Binotto fears Formula 1’s “credibility” is at stake as the FIA prepares to announce whether any teams have breached the budget cap.
Rumors in the past week have suggested that two manufacturers may have exceeded the cost limit, with Red Bull and Aston Martin denying speculation they had overspent. Mercedes and Ferrari have said they believe one team is marginally under the limit and the other by a more significant figure.
Sports financial regulations define a minor breach as less than 5% of the cap, set at $145m (£114m) in 2021, and a material breach as more. But Binotto is sure that even a minor infraction should be taken seriously.
“It’s certainly a shame that we’re talking about it in October next season, because at this point, apart from the implications for last year’s championship, there are also implications for the current one,” he said. said the director of the Ferrari team to Sky Italia.
“We’ll wait until Wednesday before making a judgment, but whatever amount we’re talking about, it’s important to understand that even if it’s four million, which falls into the category of what’s considered a minor offense, four million is not minor.” .
Ferrari boss reveals why he believes F1’s ‘credibility’ is at stake
The FIA will issue certificates of compliance with the budget limit on Wednesday 5 October
Kieran Jackson October 7, 2022 12:58 p.m
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F1 news: What Max Verstappen needs to take the F1 world title in Japan this weekend
Max Verstappen fell short of his second world title in Singapore last weekend, but his seventh place finish still means he is in a prime position to wrap up the championship at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The 25-year-old has a 104-point lead over Charles Leclerc at the top of the drivers’ standings, with only Ferrari man and Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez (106 points behind) able to make a mathematical stop the dutch
With the 2021 cost cap saga delayed after this weekend’s Grand Prix, the focus is on on-track action – that’s what Verstappen needs this weekend to finish with a dominant title as the F1 returns to Suzuka.
What Verstappen needs
Verstappen has won 11 races…