Max Verstappen Tops Washed Out Suzuka Practice

In the opening practice session for the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix, Max Verstappen led a Red Bull 1-2, edging out teammate Sergio Pérez by just under two-tenths of a second.

The session was notably interrupted by a red flag due to a crash involving Williams’ Logan Sargeant. Initially, McLaren’s Lando Norris and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton set the pace, both utilizing medium-compound C2 Pirelli tyres, with Norris posting a lap time of 1:32.767s.

As the session progressed, Norris improved his time to 1:31.781s, with Pérez closely following on the weekend’s C1 Hard compound. Verstappen, starting cautiously, eventually topped the timesheets with a Hard-tyre lap of 1:31.463s, surpassing Norris. The session’s dynamics shifted when Sargeant crashed at Turn 7, causing significant damage to his FW44, though he reported no injuries.

After the interruption, Verstappen set the session’s fastest lap of 1:30.056, with Pérez closely behind. Carlos Sainz of Ferrari was the next closest driver, trailing by 0.181s. The top ten was rounded out by George Russell, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso, Oscar Piastri, Yuki Tsunoda, and Lando Norris.

“It was a good start for us today. The bounce wasn’t too far out and I felt comfortable with the car. There are still a few things to try and look at but, overall, it was a good FP1. Of course, in FP2 we couldn’t do anything, which was a shame as this means that we don’t know the long run pace, but we can’t do anything about the weather. In general, it looks like everyone is a bit closer compared to last year and I don’t expect the same kind of gaps here at this track. There are a few things that we still want to look at tomorrow, but overall I felt quite happy with what we had and the laps that we did. Suzuka is usually a good track for the Team, so we are confident going into the weekend,” said Verstappen.

In a rain-impacted second free practice session, Oscar Piastri recorded the fastest lap time. The session saw minimal activity until the track conditions improved towards the end, sparking a flurry of late action, however, only five drivers posted a time.

2024 Japanese Grand Prix: Free Practice 1 Results