Japanese Grand Prix: Max Verstappen sets the pace in Practice One driving an enhanced Red Bull, while Logan Sargeant encounters a crash.

tháng 4 05, 2024

Japanese Grand Prix: Max Verstappen sets the pace in Practice One driving an enhanced Red Bull, while Logan Sargeant encounters a crash.

Williams faces another setback as Logan Sargeant, who has returned to the team, crashes the chassis that was sent for repairs following Alex Albon's accident in Melbourne. Red Bull and Aston Martin unveil their upgraded versions. You can catch the second practice of the Japanese Grand Prix at 7 am on Friday on Sky Sports F1, with the race scheduled for Sunday at 6 am.

Max Verstappen kicked off his quest to return to the winner's circle at the Japanese GP with a strong start, topping Practice One ahead of teammate Sergio Perez and Melbourne race winner Carlos Sainz. Red Bull unveiled their first significant car upgrade of the season at Suzuka.

However, Williams faced another unfortunate setback as Logan Sargeant, returning to the track for his first session since being withdrawn from the Australian GP, endured a brief 29-minute outing before crashing at the high-speed Dunlop corner, leaving the team with only one usable chassis.

Sargeant is currently using the chassis that his teammate Alex Albon crashed during the first practice session in Melbourne two weeks ago. Following the incident, the chassis had to be shipped back to the team's UK factory for repairs between the consecutive flyaway races. In Melbourne, Albon was allocated Sargeant's car to finish the remainder of the weekend.

Sky Sports F1's Anthony Davidson commented, "Fortunately, Sargeant went into the gravel with the nose of the car first." Replays revealed Sargeant running wide onto the grass on the exit of the left-hander before losing control on the gravel.

"I'm not detecting any damage around the suspension region. If that had been a side impact, I can't imagine the strain that chassis would have endured once more."

Williams team principal James Vowles acknowledged that the accident had caused "significant damage" to the FW46 car. However, he confirmed that the chassis itself remained intact, and the team was currently focused on making the necessary repairs with the aim of getting Sargeant back on track for Practice Two. Unfortunately, the team is still without a spare third chassis for this event.

The incident resulted in the first red flag of the weekend being waved just before the halfway point of the opening practice session. When the session resumed, Max Verstappen surged to the top of the timesheets by setting the quickest lap of 1:30.056 after switching to the soft tires.

Perez trailed by 0.181 seconds in the sister car, while the in-form Sainz closely followed in third place in the lead Ferrari.

Following a disappointing performance in Melbourne, where they struggled and experienced their first double DNF in six years, Mercedes found some early encouragement from their performance in Japan. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton secured fourth and fifth places respectively, sandwiched between the two Ferraris.

Davidson commented, "The drivers appear to be more at ease on the track compared to their performance in Melbourne."

"The fact that Mercedes managed to place themselves between the two Ferraris, with only a four-and-a-half tenths gap from a significantly upgraded Red Bull with Verstappen setting an impressive lap, is what surprises me the most this season."

Hamilton utilized a new power unit in the first session following Mercedes' confirmation on Friday morning that the one which failed on his W15 in Melbourne was unusable.

Charles Leclerc secured sixth place in the second Ferrari, while Fernando Alonso emerged as the lead Aston Martin in seventh position. Interestingly, Alonso's teammate Lance Stroll, who finished 15th, tested the new sidepods brought to Suzuka by the team, as they compared the old and new designs during the opening session.

McLaren briefly led the timesheets earlier in the session but eventually slipped down to eighth (Oscar Piastri) and tenth positions (Lando Norris) after having to abandon their initial runs on the soft tires due to Sargeant's accident. Japan's Yuki Tsunoda was sandwiched between them in ninth place for Red Bull.

In the opening session, Red Bull's sister team featured an all-Japanese lineup, with junior driver Ayumu Iwasa, aged 22, making his debut F1 practice appearance in Daniel Ricciardo's car. Iwasa, who secured fourth place in last year's F2 championship, completed 22 laps and posted the 16th fastest time, trailing Tsunoda by nine tenths of a second.

Ricciardo, who is facing increasing pressure to improve his performance following a disappointing start to the season, will return for Practice Two, which will be broadcast live at 7 am on Sky Sports F1.

The majority of Formula 1's ten teams have introduced upgrades for the fourth round of the season at Suzuka, a circuit renowned for being one of the toughest tests of a car's aerodynamics.

Red Bull unveiled a comprehensive set of changes, including a new sidepod inlet design aimed at enhancing airflow and efficiency, modifications to the front brake ducts for improved performance, as well as adjustments to the crucial floor and floor edge.

Describing the significance of Red Bull's upgrades, Sky F1's Ted Kravitz remarked, "At a circuit like Suzuka, which heavily rewards aerodynamic efficiency, these upgrades from Red Bull are truly noteworthy. They've introduced four elements that should further enhance their speed. It's an impressive move from the reigning world champions."

Meanwhile, Ferrari has opted for a higher-downforce rear wing, while Aston Martin has introduced a substantial upgrade to the car's floor along with revised designs for the diffuser and sidepods.

https://seateeco.com/product/manchester-city-together-treble-winners-unisex-t-shirt/

https://seateeco.com/product/welcome-uconn-huskies-to-the-march-madness-final-four-ncaa-2024-womens-basketball-tournament-unisex-t-shirt/

https://seateeco.com/product/iowa-hawkeyes-back-to-back-march-madness-final-four-2024-ncaa-womens-basketball-tournament-march-madness-all-over-print-shirt/

https://seateeco.com/product/caitlin-clark-going-to-the-final-four-celebrating-after-defeated-lsu-poster-polo-shirt/

https://seateeco.com/product/march-madness-final-four-2024-ncaa-division-i-womens-sweet-sixteen-classic-t-shirt/

https://seateeco.com/product/iowa-hawkeyes-march-madness-final-four-2024-ncaa-womens-basketball-tournament-coffee-ceramic-mug-2/

https://seateeco.com/product/uconn-huskies-2024-ncaa-womens-basketball-tournament-march-madness-final-four-vintage-t-shirt/

https://seateeco.com/product/2024-ncaa-march-madness-final-four-south-carolina-gamecocks-womens-basketball-tournament-premium-t-shirt/

https://seateeco.com/product/march-madness-final-four-iowa-hawkeyes-2024-ncaa-womens-basketball-tournament-coffee-ceramic-mug/

https://seateeco.com/product/2024-ncaa-march-madness-final-four-south-carolina-gamecocks-womens-basketball-tournament-coffee-ceramic-mug/

https://seateeco.com/product/lcs-spring-champions-2024-classic-t-shirt/

https://seateeco.com/product/nba-playoffs-oklahoma-city-thunder-2024-okc-classic-t-shirt/