As the Japan Grand Prix begins, teams showcase major updates in an overcast FP1, with a unique all-Japanese RB F1 duo taking the spotlight.
The Japan Grand Prix commenced at an early hour, with the first practice session (FP1) held at 11:30 local time, translating to 4:30 AM in France. The weather was uncertain, with the skies appearing overcast as the session began.
Ayumu Iwasa stepped in for Daniel Ricciardo for this practice, allowing RB F1 to present an entirely Japanese pairing alongside F2 driver Yuki Tsunoda. At Williams, the team returned to a two-car setup, with Logan Sargeant taking over a chassis that was damaged and then repaired in Melbourne.
Red Bull introduced new air intakes on their sidepods, along with a new floor and revised front brake ducts. Ferrari debuted a new rear wing and a new rear suspension. McLaren brought new front brake ducts.
Aston Martin unveiled a series of updates, including redesigned sidepods and a new floor. For this Friday, only Lance Stroll had these upgrades on his car, with the second set arriving at Suzuka today. Fernando Alonso will have access to them starting tomorrow.
Alpine introduced a new front wing, a new beam wing, and a chassis with reduced weight. Williams F1 revised both their front and rear wings. RB F1 debuted a new floor, as did Stake F1. Mercedes and Haas introduced no new developments this weekend.
Lando Norris set the first benchmark with a 1’31″781 on medium tires, ahead of Sergio Pérez, who was on hard compounds. Fernando Alonso was close behind, as was George Russell, who was then surpassed by Charles Leclerc, initially on hard tires during this FP1 session.
Carlos Sainz was seventh, on hard tires like the Red Bulls and the other Ferrari. Yuki Tsunoda claimed the eighth provisional spot on mediums, and Max Verstappen recorded the ninth time, also on hards.
Lance Stroll returned to the pits with damage to the aero probe support grilles due to the new set of parts on his Aston Martin. The Canadian had to undergo an unexpected rear wing change.
Drivers embarked on a fast lap as the sky darkened further, and Alonso matched Norris’s time to the millisecond. After 17 minutes into the session, six drivers were within less than two-tenths of each other. Verstappen moved up to seventh place, just 0″166 behind.
Verstappen eventually took the lead with a 1’31″463. Mid-session, several drivers switched to soft tires, including Hamilton who posted a 1’30″543. A red flag was then waved following a crash by Logan Sargeant.
The Williams F1 driver veered off into the grass outside the Dunlop curve, lost control, and skidded across the gravel into the tire barrier. The car hit front and then rear, potentially incurring significant damage for the American.
The session resumed with 17 minutes left. All drivers returned to the track, excluding Sargeant, of course, while the Alpine drivers emerged staggered. Nico Hülkenberg received a black and white flag for not respecting the pit exit line.
Verstappen immediately improved to a 1’30″056, with Pérez close behind, nearly two-tenths from his teammate. Alonso secured the fourth-fastest time, and Sainz took third. Alex Albon placed his Williams in ninth.
Russell positioned just ahead of Hamilton, and Iwasa recorded the tenth time, while Tsunoda took seventh place. Oscar Piastri settled in seventh, and Leclerc moved up to sixth. Lando Norris improved but remained in the same position.
Times did not change significantly towards the end of the session, with Esteban Ocon making notable progress to 11th. Drivers focused mainly on long runs to prepare for Sunday’s race.
Verstappen and Pérez secured a one-two for Red Bull, ahead of Sainz, Russell, Hamilton, and Leclerc. Alonso followed, ahead of Piastri, while Tsunoda and Norris rounded out the top 10. Ocon was 11th, Gasly 17th, and Sargeant last after his accident.
2024 F1 Japanese Grand Prix – Free Practice Results (1)
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Time | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:30.056 | 18 |
| 02 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull Honda RBPT RB20 | 1:30.237 | 18 |
| 03 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:30.269 | 20 |
| 04 | George Russell | Mercedes W15 | 1:30.530 | 18 |
| 05 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes W15 | 1:30.543 | 23 |
| 06 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari SF-24 | 1:30.558 | 18 |
| 07 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:30.599 | 20 |
| 08 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:31.165 | 23 |
| 09 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:31.230 | 20 |
| 10 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes MCL38 | 1:31.240 | 22 |
| 11 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:31.935 | 19 |
| 12 | Alex Albon | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:31.943 | 18 |
| 13 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:31.958 | 19 |
| 14 | Valtteri Bottas | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:32.054 | 17 |
| 15 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Mercedes AMR24 | 1:32.055 | 17 |
| 16 | Ayumu Iwasa | RB Honda RBPT VCARB 01 | 1:32.103 | 22 |
| 17 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault A524 | 1:32.277 | 23 |
| 18 | Guanyu Zhou | Stake F1 Kick Sauber C44 | 1:32.638 | 18 |
| 19 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari VF-24 | 1:32.803 | 21 |
| 20 | Logan Sargeant | Williams Mercedes FW46 | 1:33.204 | 10 |
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2024 F1 Japanese Grand Prix – Friday Practice Results. 2024 F1 Japanese Grand Prix – Friday Practice Results. formula 1 2024 2024 F1 Japanese Grand Prix – Friday Practice Results
