Sainz fastest in wet opening session at Suzuka
F1 Grand Prix, GP Japan, Circuit Suzuka
A soaking wet Suzuka track was host to the first practice session for the Japanese Grand Prix, with standing water creating difficult conditions for all teams. Carlos Sainz eventually ended the session as the surprise pace setter.
The dangerous conditions made drivers to be extremely cautious, with only 12 of them setting times on the board.
All best times were set at the very end of the session, with intermediates becoming the preferred tyre as the track gradually improved throughout the 90 minutes.
Results
| Pos. | .No. | .Driver | Team | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Toro Rosso | 1:49.434 | - | 10 |
| 2 | 26 | Daniil Kvyat | Red Bull Racing | 1:49.938 | +0.504s | 7 |
| 3 | 6 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1:50.077 | +0.643s | 14 |
| 4 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1:50.519 | +1.085s | 12 |
| 5 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:50.722 | +1.288s | 6 |
| 6 | 33 | Max Verstappen | Toro Rosso | 1:50.940 | +1.506s | 10 |
| 7 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 1:51.212 | +1.778s | 15 |
| 8 | 19 | Felipe Massa | Williams | 1:52.288 | +2.854s | 12 |
| 9 | 9 | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber | 1:53.820 | +4.386s | 12 |
| 10 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams | 1:53.964 | +4.530s | 14 |
| 11 | 12 | Felipe Nasr | Sauber | 1:54.013 | +4.579s | 9 |
| 12 | 22 | Jenson Button | McLaren | 1:55.678 | +6.244s | 6 |
| 13 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull Racing | - | - | 1 |
| 14 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Force India | - | - | 4 |
| 15 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Force India | - | - | 3 |
| 16 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren | - | - | 5 |
| 17 | 13 | Pastor Maldonado | Lotus | - | - | 1 |
| 18 | 30 | Jolyon Palmer | Lotus | - | - | 1 |
| 19 | 28 | Will Stevens | Marussia | - | - | 3 |
| 20 | 53 | Alexander Rossi | Marussia | - | - | 4 |
