- F1 updates as Max Verstappen hunts a return to the podium
- The race at Suzuka gets under way at 6am BST / 2pm JST
It’s looking like it’s going to be a hot one at Suzuka – Mercedes are doing a lot of work to keep their cars cool on the grid – and combined with the smoother surface increasing degradation that’s going to open up a new dimension of tyre management and strategy – a two-stopper with hard tyres looks like the best strategy.
Two sets of hards, however, are a luxury that few on the grid actually have: Lewis Hamilton and George Russell of Mercedes, the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, Alpine’s Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, and Fernando Alonso and Kevin Magnussen the only ones to have two sets of hard tyres to play with during the race, potentially giving them an advantage over their rivals.