Drivers get a last look at Suzuka International Racing Course before qualifying after rain truncated Friday’s practice sessions for the Japanese Grand Prix
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen ran the fastest lap in Friday’s practice sessions in advance of the Japanese Grand Prix. Formula 1 drivers get a final look at Suzuka International Racing Course on Saturday (Friday night in the U.S.) before qualifying later in the day after FP2 was limited by rain. Verstappen’s 1:30.056 circuit in FP1 bested teammate Sergio Pérez by 0.181 seconds, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz running 0.213 seconds slower. Verstappen’s nine-race winning streak was halted last weekend in Australia as Sainz picked up his third career win in Melbourne. Verstappen, the three-time defending Formula 1 champion, has won the last two years at Suzuka.
How to Watch Japanese Grand Prix, Practice 3, in Formula 1 Today:
Date: April 5, 2024
Time: 10:25 p.m. ET
TV: ESPNEWS
Live stream Practice 3 for the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix on Fubo: Start your free trial today!
Suzuka, a favorite among drivers, opened in 1962 as a Honda test track and was brought up to F1 standards in 1987. F1 has raced on the circuit from 1987-2006 and returned in 2009, with the 2020 and 2021 races cancelled by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The 3.608-mile course features 18 turns since the track was redesigned in 2003. The high-speed layout presents challenges in the form of snaking “S” curves, two difficult Degner corners and the 130R, named for its metric radius, is a left-hand turn that follows a long drag from the Spoon Curve with drivers approaching at nearly 200 mph.
Michael Schumacher won a record six times at Suzuka while three active drivers own multiple wins. Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton has five victories, most recently in 2018, while Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin joins Verstappen among the two-time victors.
Regional restrictions may apply.
