Kimi Antonelli secured his second consecutive pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix, leading a Mercedes front-row lockout. Max Verstappen struggled, starting 11th.
Kimi Antonelli becomes Formula One's youngest championship leader after Japanese GP win, breaking Lewis Hamilton's record and extending his dream start.
Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes wins the Japanese Grand Prix, becoming the youngest-ever championship leader. The race saw a high-speed crash involving Oliver Bearman, who was later cleared by doctors.
Max Verstappen asked a journalist to leave his Thursday media briefing at the Japanese Grand Prix, with the Dutchman still upset over a question asked by the same reporter in December about an incident that potentially cost him a fifth straight drivers' title.
Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris topped the times for McLaren as four red flags, two caused by trackside grass fires, wreaked havoc with the second practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix on Friday.
Suzuka circuit will alternate with Fuji as host of the Japanese Grand Prix from 2009, Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone and local organisers said on Saturday.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli showed he was a quick learner by becoming F1's youngest race leader and fastest lap setter on his way to sixth place for Mercedes in the Japanese Grand Prix
Verstappen hustled his Honda-powered Red Bull around the popular figure-of-eight layout in one minute, 29.304 seconds
Qualifying took place at a sunny Suzuka on Sunday morning after being postponed from its usual Saturday slot due to the approach of Typhoon Hagibis.
Verstappen crossed the line in his Red Bull for his 64th Grand Prix victory to a huge ovation from the 115,000 crowd some 1.4 seconds ahead of McLaren's championship leader Lando Norris in second place.
Here's a look at some key moments which helped decide the championship fight.
Yuki Tsunoda will race for Red Bull from his home Japanese Formula One Grand Prix next week with struggling New Zealander Liam Lawson demoted to sister team Racing Bulls in a straight swap.
Formula One drivers will hold a minute's silence at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday and dedicate the winner's podium to the late Marussia test driver Maria De Villota, they said on Saturday.
Lewis Hamilton always dreamed of matching the achievements of his boyhood idol Ayrton Senna, winning as many races and titles as the late great Brazilian who had inspired him to beat the odds.
The 2021 Japanese Formula One Grand Prix has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic for the second successive year.
French driver Jules Bianchi was taken to hospital after being seriously injured in a crash that brought a halt to a wet Japanese Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday.
Formula One will have two races in Spain next season with Madrid's new street circuit making its debut in September and Italy's Imola dropping off the 24-round calendar, F1 and the governing FIA announced on Tuesday.
World champion Max Verstappen got back to winning ways on Sunday with a third straight pole-to-flag victory at the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix, leading teammate Sergio Perez across the line for a Red Bull 1-2 at Suzuka.
Suzuka will host the Japanese Grand Prix next year as well as in 2011, the operators of the Honda-owned circuit said on Sunday after meeting Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone. Next year's race had been due to be hosted by Toyota's Fuji facility under an agreement to alternate but was thrown into doubt last month when that circuit gave up the hosting rights due to the global economic downturn.
From a crazy race track crash to Robin van Persie's record for The Netherlands, to Mario Balotelli obliging some female fans, Rediff.com has all that and more snapped right here.
Force India returned empty-handed from the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix after Adrian Sutil and Paul Di Resta finished a disappointing 11th and 12th respectively in Suzuka on Sunday.
"There's a lot of work that still needs to be done in this sport. "I can't retire now, because I'm only just embarking on helping create a more open and inclusive environment here in this sport and I've got to stay to help that continue." said Hamilton.
Lewis Hamilton refused to take questions from the media after qualifying second for Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix due to "disrespectful" criticism of his behaviour during a news conference two days ago.
'The chance is there -- and what kind of racing driver would I be if I stopped believing?'
Germany's Nico Rosberg put Mercedes on pole position for Sunday's Japanese Formula One Grand Prix with championship-leading teammate Lewis Hamilton joining him on the front row.
World championship leader Nico Rosberg ended the opening day of practice for the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix in a strong position after setting the pace in both sessions on Friday.
Michael Schumacher was third with sole title rival Kimi Raikkonen fifth quickest.
Toyota's Fuji International Speedway gave up the hosting rights for the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix in 2010 and beyond on Tuesday to cut costs amid the global economic downturn. The circuit, majority held by the world's biggest automaker, had been scheduled to alternate each year with Honda-owned Suzuka.
The Dutch driver won the race at Suzuka, with Leclerc demoted from second to third behind Red Bull's Sergio Perez for cutting the final chicane while defending from the Mexican on the last lap.
Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel limbered up for a Japanese Grand Prix that could bring him a fourth successive title on Sunday with the fastest time in Friday practice.
Verstappen suffered two retirements from the first three races but has otherwise finished all but two rounds in the top three.
The crash that left French Formula One driver Jules Bianchi in a critical condition with severe head injures was down to bad luck rather than poor judgement by Japanese Grand Prix race officials, a track spokesman said on Tuesday.
Formula One will have a record 24 races in the season that starts in Bahrain on Saturday.
Sergio Perez was glad simply to make it to the end of the Malaysian Grand Prix, with the Mexican, stricken by a virus, describing it as the hardest race of his career.
Formula One team bosses backed the decision of Japanese Grand Prix organisers to cancel all of Saturday's practice and qualifying sessions as the sport hunkered down to ride out Typhoon Hagibis.
Sebastian Vettel may need to rely on a stroke of luck at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday if the German wants to keep alive his diminishing hopes of claiming a fifth Formula One title.
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