Japanese Grand Prix: Max Verstappen lays down a marker against Red Bull rivals

Left to digest a wretched Singapore Grand Prix weekend, Max Verstappen emphatically answered the question in Japan as to whether that was a one-off, or the beginning of Red Bull’s downfall.

His 1:30.688 in Friday’s second practice for the Japanese GP weekend put him 0.3sseconds ahead of Charles Leclerc at Suzuka with Lando Norris third fastest.

On a muggy afternoon at the Suzuka circuit, the drivers hit the track on a mix of compounds with Pirelli’s prototype non-marked tyres also in play. Valtteri Bottas on the test tyres set the pace in the first 10 minutes with a 1:33.1.

Max Verstappen in control in Japan

There was an early problem for Verstappen, at least from those looking in from the outside, as the Red Bull driver had a tear-off stuck to the side of this car. But what might have been an issue for some was not for the reigning World Champion as he laid down a 1:31.3 to go fastest of all on the soft tyres.

It was an interesting move, and maybe a sign of their confidence, that Verstappen and Red Bull were immediately onto the softs.

Further back Kevin Magnussen burned rubber to avoid turning in on Carlos Sainz, Sainz being second quickest but seven-tenths down and Norris was a further 0.4s back in third.

Alex Albon had an issue as he reported “floor” damage with the Williams driver sixth but unhappy with the handling of his FW45 as he dropped outside the top ten.

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Still on his used set of soft tyres, Verstappen was quicker through the first and sector sectors but couldn’t improve overall while George Russell moved up to third and Lewis Hamilton went P6.

Swapping to a brand new set of soft Pirellis mid-session, Norris had a brief foray up into P1 but brief is what it was. That he even manged that was more to do with Verstappen’s own teammate Sergio Perez holding him up than either the Briton or Dutchman’s pace.

Charles Leclerc was the next to hit the front, Perez only P6, Sainz went third… and then came Verstappen. On a new set of soft tyres the championship leader put in a 1:30.688, three-tenths up on Leclerc.

On a rather non-eventful and error-free Friday, the day’s running ended with a red flag as Pierre Gasly binned his Alpine nose-first into the barrier at Degnar Two after locking up. “Locked up, sorry,” was the driver’s message to Alpine.

Verstappen was fastest of all, the Dutchman having shrugged off his Singapore woes to sit P1 as he has most of this season. Leclerc was second quickest ahead of Norris, with Sainz, Russell and Fernando Alonso completing the top six.

Zhou Guanyu managed just 16 laps with a hydraulic issues curtailing his running.

Times

1 Max VERSTAPPEN Red Bull Racing 1:30.688
2 Charles LECLERC Ferrari +0.320
3 Lando NORRIS McLare n+0.464
4 Carlos SAINZ Ferrari +0.549
5 George RUSSELL Mercedes +0.640
6 Fernando ALONSO Aston Martin +0.804
7 Alexander ALBON Williams +0.867
8 Oscar PIASTRI McLaren +0.974
9 Sergio PEREZ Red Bull Racing +1.022
10 Valtteri BOTTAS Alfa Romeo +1.051
11 Lance STROLL Aston Martin +1.083
12 Esteban OCON Alpine +1.106
13 Nico HULKENBERG Haas F1 Team +1.109
14 Lewis HAMILTON Mercedes +1.141
15 Liam LAWSON AlphaTauri +1.453
16 Guanyu ZHOU Alfa Romeo +1.477
17 Kevin MAGNUSSEN Haas F1 Team +1.481
18 Yuki TSUNODA AlphaTauri +1.490
19 Pierre GASLY Alpine +1.491
20 Logan SARGEANT Williams +1.632

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