Verstappen heads the field in FP1 of Japan GP to shake off Singapore doubts

Red Bull and Max Verstappen returned to pace-setting form in the first hour of practice at the Japanese Grand Prix, ahead of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz and McLaren’s Lando Norris.

The defending champions of Red Bull and Verstappen are attempting to showcase that what happened in Singapore last weekend was merely a blimp in their dominant season. 

Verstappen led the drivers out onto the circuit and as such set the pace in the first half of the session with a one-minute and 32.442s lap time on the prototype tyre. Despite the unmarked prototype tyre, the Dutchman was still seven-tenths quicker than Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso. 

When the pack peeled into the pit lane to exchange the prototype tyre for the quicker soft tyres, it was once again the defending world champion who set the fastest time with a 1:31.647. 

By the time the chequered flag fell, Sainz followed close behind Verstappen 0.6s off the pace while Norris rounded out the top three. Leclerc completed the lineup for Ferrari inside the top four, whereas home favourite Yuki Tsunoda of Alpha Tauri rounded out the top five. 

Alonso, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri – who has now signed with McLaren until 2026 – Williams’ Alexander Albon and Liam Lawson occupied sixth, seventh, eighth and ninth. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll completed the top 10 in his first bit of on-track action since he withdrew from the Singapore Grand Prix, after his crash in qualifying. 

Red Bull’s Sergio Perez led the bottom 10 down in 11th, 1.3s off the pace of his teammate, ahead of Alpine’s fastest driver: Pierre Gasly, who was 12th.

Russell sat in 13th as he and his teammate, Sir Lewis Hamilton (in 16th), opted to complete FP1 without a run on the soft compound tyre. Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon finished the first hour in 14th and 15th.  

Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas sat just behind Hamilton, in 17th, as the two former teammates led the bottom five. Haas’ Kevin Magnussen and Logan Sargeant occupied 18th and 19th while Zhou Guanyu completed the field in 20th for what is the closest event to his home race.

That’s all for the article: Verstappen heads the field in FP1 of Japan GP to shake off Singapore doubts!

Read more Formula 1 here:

• McLaren lock down Piastri with new contract until 2026
• Sainz ends Red Bull’s and Verstappen’s F1 winning streak with victory in Singapore GP
• Sainz on pole for Singapore GP as both Red Bull’s exit after Q2
• Sainz completes practice clean sweep for Ferrari in Singapore GP FP3
• Ferrari clean sweep Friday with Sainz quickest in FP2
• Leclerc leads in Singapore as Lizards litter FP1

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Kamron Kent

Hi, I’m Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion.

I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I’ve loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.

Kamron Kent

Hi, I'm Kamron. I created ApexMotorsports.co.uk in the dying embers of the 2021 Formula 1 world championship. It allowed me freedom to write whatever I wanted to write about which was all things motorsports, my passion. I have put a lot of effort in over the years to keep this website in its best shape and I've loved seeing the brand grow consistently, month-on-month, year-on-year. My ambition is to keep watching this brand grow into a primary outlet of news for all things motorsports whilst fueling my desire to pursue a career in sports journalism, specialising in motorsports.