F1 2023 - Round 17 - Japan - Suzuka

rameire

Friday September 22

• Practice One Session starts 3.30am
• Practice Two Session starts 7am

Saturday September 23

• Practice Three Session starts 3.30am
• 7am: Japanese GP Qualifying

Sunday September 24

• 6am: The Grand Prix

On Friday, all the teams will get the chance to test a new version of the C2 compound, with a view to homologating it for next season. This latest evolution should provide more grip than the current C2, and so fit in more coherently between the C1 and C3. For the first two free practice sessions, each driver will have two additional sets of tyres, compared to the usual 13 sets per weekend. This test is part of a development programme that was recently defined for 2024 and will continue with a new C4 compound to be tested on track during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend

flazio

Any word on the AlphaTauri line up for the weekend?

PsychoPete

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121130864#Comment_121130864

Rumours are Ricciardo is still out and Yuki to be announced for 2024 this weekend

dulpit

Stroll confirms he's racing it would seem..

https://twitter.com/lance_stroll/status/1704375842833379694?t=TrDME-EgPXHkdK9apsyB9Q&s=19

dulpit

Also, I don't particularly care about what helmet a driver wears, but this is pretty cool...

https://twitter.com/F1HLM/status/1704406919731913034?t=tuHbkAfa99YsYPOfLoAYZw&s=19

Andrew76

Morning folks. FP2 about to start and I see normal service has been resumed with Max well on top in FP1, thank god. 🙂

Ferrari and McLaren looking fast too, both have upgrades here. Merc not shown their hand yet either only using the medium tyre rather than soft.

Andrew76

Oh I see they’ve added Danny Ric to the intro where all the drivers are shown, hadn’t noticed that before.

flazio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121141438#Comment_121141438

He's been there since Zandvoort

Andrew76

The onboard camera through sector one is brilliant, some speed they carry through the corners. Commentators saying the drivers are manually disabling the DRS coming into turn one since they’re still on full throttle. F1 cars - love it.

Cool_CM

Gasly in the barriers - red flag

Just put him back in my fantasy team 😂

Andrew76

Gasly ends the session with a red flag. Max still on top but much closer this session, only 3 tenths the difference to Leclerc.

MadYaker

It would be great if the Ferraris could give RB some trouble but I fear a return to business as usual.

Andrew76

Great new camera angle. I'm guessing that yellow button top left is the DRS that he's pressing going into turn 1. Some speed they carry through Degner 1 too. 😎

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38K96y5IShg

waynescales1

The halo is obviously a very important safety device, just a shame how disruptive it is to onboard footage.

flazio

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121144467#Comment_121144467

I kind of wish they'd place a camera on it, like right at the top of the T pillar looking forward. I imagine they can't because it would disrupt the integrity or something.

Frank Bullitt

Max was on it from the start...

Andrew76

Morning folks. Anyone else going to watch quali? 🙂

Max on top again in FP3 but only by 2 tenths to both McLarens. Perez and the Ferraris 7 tenths back. Think they said Max has less sets of soft tyres available than others as they’re keeping more mediums for the race, something like that. Could be close enough for pole.

Itssoeasy

Morning lads.

Andrew76

Red Bull can win the championship tomorrow if they out score Mercedes by a single point (assuming Ferrari don’t out score RB by 24 points).

Japanese fans seem to make the best hats too! 😁

PsychoPete

Mclaren should do very well this weekend

Andrew76

red flag with Sargeant in the barriers.

PsychoPete

Sargeant bins it, surprise surprise

Andrew76

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121145708#Comment_121145708

Yeah their latest upgrades are really working well. It’s great to see and fair play to them for changing direction with the development once they realised they had gone the wrong way during off season.

Does Sargeant bring lots of money to Williams or something? He seems to be really struggling in his first season.

PsychoPete

Maybe for the American market? Sargeant doesn't deserve a seat next year, he's really struggled this year and that was a pretty stupid mistake

Sargent will be gone at the end of the season.

Andrew76

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121145721#Comment_121145721

Looked like he kept is foot in it even though he was sliding left off the track. Defo driver error anyway. So that’s Zanvoort, Singapore and now Suzuka that he’s gone into the wall at some stage - just out of the most recent races that I can remember. He must be costing them a fortune in parts. Don’t mind he’s miles off Albon in the races.

mr_edge_to_you

Williams have a decent car. You would imagine it has come at significant expense. They probably need a good experienced driver to deliver on the track.

ctrl-alt-delete

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121145729#Comment_121145729

Team principal was saying how they don't mass produce spare parts due to the cost cap.

They do have them to repair the car, but now they have to produce more it takes away from development.

The team looked fairly pissed, driver error too.

ctrl-alt-delete

Lawson with a stunning lap in that machine.

Burkie1203

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121145714#Comment_121145714

"STEPHENS" are his sponsor/backer I think

I believe Sargent is there for the American Market and the 3 races this season. I would actually believe that Mick Schumacher would be a better replacement for the rest of the season and that's saying alot.

I haven't seen the America Market embrace Sargent within F1

mr_edge_to_you

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121145756#Comment_121145756

Mercedes connection too......would be a good fit. I think Mick got shafted in end end by Haas.

ctrl-alt-delete

Full kit w*nker in the crowd there 😂

Andrew76

How good is Piastri. Never raced this track before.

2011

Lawson is super impressive in Q1. Great to see. Not good for Daniel though.

ctrl-alt-delete

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121145771#Comment_121145771

It has already been announced that it is Ric and Tsu for next year.

Lawson in reserve.

mr_edge_to_you

I am in awe of Alex Albon and how strong he has come back after the Red Bull stint. Fair play to him. Seems like a decent bloke too.

2011

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121145775#Comment_121145775

I think they may want to consider revisiting that decision. I say that despite the fact that I am a fan of Danny’s.

flazio

Stroll out in Q1 as well. I think Lawson should go to Williams and Mick Schumacher head to Aston Martin.

mr_edge_to_you

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121145782#Comment_121145782

Danny is well experienced and discussing contracts and exit packages.

Ghost Train

For such a long circuit, times all very close. Top 5 in Q2 all within about a tenth of a second. Top 10 or 12 within aboit half a second.

Hopefully close again in q3, will be interesting if Max not on the front row, although maybe was saving tyres in q2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121145786#Comment_121145786

No way will Redbull let Lawson go to Williams.

2011

I think Max just exceeded track limits. On his 1st lap in Q3

Andrew76

5.5g through Spoon corner from Max. Jesus.

Itssoeasy

Impressive lap from max.

Andrew76

Leclerc better not bin it and ruin everyone else’s lap.

2011

Unbelievable drive by Max!! Fantastic stuff.

Itssoeasy

McLaren with a good qualifying session. Second and third.

PsychoPete

Verstappen is a machine

Longing

Wow! What a lap.

rameire

Max seems to go further into turn 1 with the DRS than the others.