Summary

  • Oscar Piastri leads McLaren one-two in Japanese GP second practice

  • Alpine's Jack Doohan crashes at Turn One at Suzuka

  • Alonso spin and two grass fires make it four red flags

  • Yuki Tsunoda replacing Liam Lawson at Red Bull

  • Listen to 5 Sports Extra commentary by selecting audio tab (UK only)

Live Reporting

Gary Rose

  1. There's an improvement from George Russell at the top of the order as he does a 1:28.809, taking advantage of the quieter track.

  2. A lot of the drivers are back in the pits now working through the data from the first half hour of the session and making the necessary tweaks.

    There's an eye-catching lap from Racing Bulls' Isack Hadjar as he goes third quickest on hard tyres, seven tenths down on George Russell's time.

  3. A bit of confusion for Carlos Sainz as he is told to box. The Williams mechanics are all there waiting for him in the pit lane but he whizzes past them, admitting over the radio he forgot they were at the start of the pit lane.

    Sainz is of course in his first season at Williams after three years at Ferrari.

  4. Disqualifications could be 'really damaging' for Ferrari

    Alice Powell
    British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Looking at the disqualifications for the Ferraris in China, it's such fine margins that teams face. A team like Ferrari making mistakes across two cars, that's a lot of points dropped. In a season where it's going to be so close at the sharp end of the field, that could be really damaging for Ferrari.

  5. Yuki Tsunoda is gaining confidence in the Red Bull now and really pushes it hard through the chicane on his way to going fifth quickest.

    Yuki TsunodaGetty Images

  6. Listen: Chequered Flag podcast

    Eleanor Oldroyd, Jennie Gow & Marc Priestley look ahead to the Japanese GP.

    Have a listen to the latest Chequered Flag podcast as Eleanor Oldroyd, BBC F1’s Jennie Gow and former McLaren mechanic Marc Priestley look ahead to the Japanese Grand Prix.

    The team discuss Red Bull’s latest driver swap, where Yuki Tsunoda replaces Liam Lawson just two races into the season. Harry Benjamin sits down with Tsunoda before his home race, and we also hear from former Haas boss Guenther Steiner and former Toro Rosso driver Jaime Alguersuari on the situation.

  7. Max Verstappen is back in the pits after a few laps on the softs. He's replaced at the top of the order by George Russell, who does a 1:29.616 in the Mercedes.

    Ferrari, hoping to get their season going this weekend, have Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc third and fourth quickest respectively.

  8. Haas have also adopted special livery for this weekend, adding a dash of pink to their cars with cherry blossoms on them in celebrations of Sakura.

  9. How's Liam Lawson getting on back at Racing Bulls? He's yet to catch the eye as he sits 17th quickest but it is very early days.

    Liam LawsonGetty Images

  10. Now George Russell goes second quickest with 1:29.706, just 0.016 off Max Verstappen's time.

    Championship leader Lando Norris is third quickest, half a second off Verstappen's time.

  11. Alice Powell
    British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    You can never rule out Max Verstappen. He has won the past three Japanese Grands Prix and very much enjoys this circuit.

  12. Max Verstappen improves with 1:29.690 but Fernando Alonso leaps into P2. He's a second down on Verstappen but is on hards, while Verstappen is on the soft compound.

  13. The Ferraris, like much of the field, are on mediums and Charles Leclerc goes second quickest with his first timed effort, just 0.031 off Max Verstappen's time.

  14. The Red Bulls are out on softs and Max Verstappen has gone quickest with 1:30.738.

    Yuki Tsunoda's first effort for his new team sees him 1.8s slower than his new team-mate, putting him seventh quickest.

  15. .Getty Images

    A driver change is not the only thing that's different at Red Bull this weekend, as they are racing in a one-off white livery in a tribute to their engine partner Honda. I have to say it does look great.

  16. Horner won't ask me to swap if leading Verstappen - Tsunoda

    Tsunoda - Horner won't ask me to swap if leading Verstappen

    Earlier this week, Yuki Tsunoda told BBC Radio 5 Live's Harry Benjamin what team principal Christian Horner expects from him as Max Verstappen's team-mate.

  17. There was a huge cheer in the grandstand when Yuki Tsunoda was shown in the Red Bull race suit on the big screens, and he's heading out on to the track now.

  18. Go! Go! Go!

    Off we go with one hour of first practice.

    There's a driver change for this session as Ryo Hirakawa is in the Alpine in place of Jack Doohan.

  19. Alice Powell
    British racing driver on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    I think Yuki Tsunoda will do a good job but I am also interested in seeing how Liam Lawson gets on back in the Racing Bulls. He has the support of a lot of people in the paddock.

  20. Hamilton has 'absolute 100% faith' in Ferrari

    Andrew Benson
    BBC F1 correspondent at Suzuka

    A smiling Lewis Hamilton wearing a red Ferrari capGetty Images

    Lewis Hamilton says he has "absolute 100% faith" in Ferrari despite their difficult start to the season.

    The seven-time champion won the sprint race in China last time out but struggled in the grand prix in Shanghai and the season-opener in Australia.

    Ferrari are only fifth in the constructors' championship after Hamilton and team-mate Charles Leclerc were disqualified from fifth and sixth places in China for technical infringements.

    Briton Hamilton said: "I saw someone said something about whether I'm losing faith in the team, which is complete rubbish.

    "I have absolute 100% faith in this team.

    "There was obviously a huge amount of hype at the beginning of the year. I don't know if everyone was expecting us to be winning from race one and winning the championship in our first year.

    "That wasn't my expectation. I know that I'm coming into a new culture, a new team and it's going to take time."