Piastri tops rain-affected second practice
Verstappen fastest in first practice; but did not run in second session
Sargeant crashes his Williams in FP1
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A little fan in the crowd is holding up a sign that says: "Teacher! Sorry for skipping school. Ferrari is my excuse!"
While Logan Sargeant was stuck in the gravel, Lewis Hamilton on the soft tyres had gone top of the timesheets with a 1:30.543.
Back under way.
The stress levels must be through the paddock roof for Williams boss James Vowles and the mechanics. The team does not have a spare chassis here at Suzuka, so it'll be an anxious wait in the garage to see what work has to be done on Logan Sargeant's car.
There was no way Logan Sargeant could catch that spin once the Williams had dipped its wheels onto the grass. The American was on a set of soft tyres aiming to lift himself from 16th on the timesheets.
That was a huge hit for Logan Sargeant. The American reaches Turn Seven and touches the grass, which then sends the car flying into the barriers. The marshals are on the scene to repair the damage in the first sector.
Logan Sargeant is getting out of the car safely and the red flag is shown. This is the last thing Williams needed this weekend. That car is stuck in the gravel and the American is walking away with his head down.
Adrian Newey has his notebook in hand, scribbling down his observations on those big upgrades for Red Bull this weekend. And he's left-handed.
Woah. An off for Logan Sargeant in that repaired Williams.
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) - 1:31.463
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.318
3. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +0.318
4. Sergio Perez (Red Bull) +0.350
5. George Russell (Mercedes) +0.362
Will that DNF in Melbourne spur Max Verstappen on to return to winning ways here in Japan? The Dutchman has been given the hard compound first and manages to pull three tenths out of his upgraded Red Bull to go top with a 1:31.463.
Image source, Getty ImagesWilliams have two cars returning to the grid in Japan after repairing the chassis that was damaged in Alex Albon's practice crash in Melbourne.
The team were forced to withdraw Logan Sargeant from the rest of the race weekend with Albon running the only car to 11th place in Sunday's grand prix.
However, while Sargeant gets to rejoin the action, the American will be driving the repaired chassis, and won't be taking back his car from team-mate Albon.
Sargeant has put a marker in the 1:32s on the board to sit 15th, while Albon, along with Lance Stroll, has yet to set a time.
Spring may have sprung but the weather looks to be very mixed across the three days of racing at Suzuka with cool temperatures and the threat of rain - or maybe just drizzle - forecast.
Fernando Alonso is joining Lando Norris on the yellow mediums and by the end of the figure-of-eight lap, the Spanish two-time world champion has put down exactly the same time as the McLaren driver.
Aston Martin have brought along significant upgrades to the Japanese Grand Prix and Lance Stroll has driving around with a big aero rake at the rear of the car. Only it's loose, so the Canadian has to head back to base for some adjustments.
Lando Norris, on the podium in Melbourne a fortnight ago, is on the medium tyres and has clocked the quickest time so far with a 1:31.781.
Four points is also the difference in the constructors' championship, where Red Bull sit top but Ferrari are staying close in second thanks to a haul of 44 points in Melbourne.
Third-placed McLaren have opened up a 29-point gap to Mercedes in fourth after the Silver Arrows' double DNF last time out.
Image source, Getty ImagesA rare retirement for Max Verstappen two weeks ago has cut the Dutchman's lead in the drivers' championship to four points. A Ferrari one-two in Melbourne has moved Charles Leclerc up to second place and race winner Carlos Sainz from sixth to fourth.
The Australian weekend was a major disappointment for Mercedes and as a result of both cars failing to finish, George Russell drops from the top four into eighth and Lewis Hamilton slips further down the order to 10th.
Image source, Getty ImagesPirelli has brought along the hardest tyres in the range to tackle the high-speed, figure-eight layout of the Japanese track, but will the intermediates or full wets be the compound of choice if the weather is unsettled for Sunday’s race?
When the skies are dry, teams can choose from the C1 (hard, white), C2 (medium, yellow) and C3 (soft, red) tyres.
A mixture of mediums and hards are being used in the early parts of this first practice session.
Image source, Pirelli 2024
Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent
Significant upgrades on Aston Martin - floor body, fences, edge and diffuser - and Red Bull - sidepod inlet, floor body, edge and front corner. Rear suspension (aero) on the Ferrari; front corner on McLaren. Alpine - front wing, corner & beam wing. Williams - all wings. VB - floor.
Another home driver for the Japanese fans to cheer for.
Red Bull junior Ayumu Iwasa is hopping into Daniel Ricciardo's RB for first practice today.
Image source, Getty ImagesGreat hat.
Image source, Getty ImagesHello, folks. This is a slight lie-in compared to Australia two weeks ago, I suppose. Kudos if you’re going to stick with us all weekend.
The F1 roadshow arrives in Japan during the country’s world-famous cherry blossom season – a change from the autumnal backdrop we’ve become accustomed to.
First practice at Suzuka gets under way at 03:30 BST.
Second practice gets the green light at 07:00 BST.
Live commentary with Harry Benjamin and British racing driver Alice Powell is on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra, BBC Sounds and at the top of this page using the audio icon.
Image source, Getty ImagesIs it October already?
The Formula 1 season usually has plenty of miles on the calendar before we arrive at the iconic Suzuka circuit but this year, the Japanese Grand Prix gets a new slot in spring as part of the sport’s efforts to become more sustainable.
We can’t crown a world champion this weekend like in previous years, but will the racing still deliver us excitement?
Oh boy, it’s an early one again.