F1 LIVE | Russell, Leclerc trade Suzuka lead; Red Bull, McLaren behind

The Japanese GP is the final race before F1’s in-season break. The five-week hiatus came about following the cancellation of the race in Bahrain and Jeddah due to the ongoing Middle East tensions.

Mercedes, dominant so far this season, head into Suzuka as favourites, with both Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc acknowledging that Ferrari still appears off the pace compared to the Brackley outfit. With George Russell and Kimi Antonelli claiming one victory each in the opening two races, Suzuka provides the perfect battleground for the Mercedes pair to fight for an advantage ahead of the break.

Further down the grid, McLaren and Red Bull will be looking to recover from their challenging starts. For McLaren, simply getting to the grid trouble-free and running competitively would signal an improvement in form. For Red Bull, ensuring both Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar are happy with their cars will be key.

Follow every moment of the on-track action as the Japanese GP gets underway with GPblog’s live coverage.

European fans will once again have to set their alarms early for the third flyaway race of the season, following back-to-back trips to Melbourne and Shanghai, with another demanding schedule in store for the Suzuka weekend.

On Friday, FP1 is set for 03:30–04:30 CET, followed by FP2 from 07:00 to 08:00 CET. Saturday begins with FP3 at 03:30–04:30 CET, before qualifying takes place later in the morning from 07:00 to 08:00 CET.

The early starts continue on Sunday, with the race getting underway at 07:00 CET.

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