Good morning from Suzuki! The rain from Singapore she came back insistent to accompany us up to Suzuka, eighteenth stage of this 2022 World Championship. A time that makes the action on the track even more complicated, which will accompany us throughout the first day of free practice but which should give us a break for tomorrow, with qualifying while the rain could return on Sunday. The Japanese track is one of the most anticipated given the absence of more than two years from the calendar and the spectacular nature of the track, which always offers great emotions. The rain conditioned most of the session despite draining very quickly, but let's see how FP1 ended.
We only saw the intermediate tires towards the end of the session with Verstappen, Perez, Ocon and Bottas opening the ball with 20 minutes to go. The best time, precisely with these compounds, marks it by surprise Fernando Alonso with 1:42.248. Followed by the two Ferrari squires, Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc with full wet tyres.
Alpine flies
The Alpine in these conditions and on the Suzuka track it would seem to have found a strong ally. The French team must redeem itself from the double DNF obtained in Singapore and see both riders in the top 5 in this first free practice session, with the “samurai” Fernando Alonso even in P1 and Ocon in P4 right behind the Ferrari duo, bodes well. The weekend is still long and conditions are expected to vary further, not to mention the fact that at times the riders were forced to stay in the pits for a long time due to the rain and therefore the potential has disappeared somewhat for everyone. We'll see if they reconfirm themselves in the next sessions!
Ferrari tries everything for everything
In Suzuka, Red Bull could give Max Verstappen a second world title. The Dutchman ended the session in P6 but with these conditions there was little lap time. His teammate Sergio Perez ended the session in P10. Ferrari, now aware that fewer and fewer turns of the clock are missing before the inevitable happens in Japan, has decided to bring in a new fund, to be even more competitive. The Japanese layout leans towards the RB18, as also mentioned by Charles Leclerc who compared it to Spa, where Verstappen from the fourteenth pitch came to win the Grand Prix in a Red Bull double that has only collected successes since the summer break.
The F1-75 at Suzuka will have a new bottom already brought, and then discarded for the street circuit in Singapore. The fund that will therefore make its debut at Suzuka has the inlet of the modifications fondo and diffuser chute to increase load and efficiency. Fund tested by both riders in the first run of FP1.
La Ferrari in 2022 it sipped updates unlike Red Bull who carried on the RB18 slimming cure without delay. The veiled accusations that he spent a little too much at the expense of the Budget cap, however, turned into a real trial over the course of the season Budget cap 2021 which has not yet seen a sentence. The verdict of FIA on the financial accounts of the teams for the past season, expected for October 5 has been postponed to October 10 and there is a fear that this date too could be delayed.
Various alarms and a lot of work in the pits
With a little extra time to run for cover in FP1 at Suzuka Mercedes had to deal with an oil leak in George Russell's power unit. Not exactly good news considering also that the Englishman had already mounted a new unit on the W13 in Singapore, running into a penalty that forced him to start from the pit lane. Russell ends the session in P18. Tension also for Norris who had reported an alarm to the power unit. Despite this Lando finished the session in the top 10 leaving Daniel Ricciardo outside a hypothetical points zone in P12.
Problems also for Bottas who, after a run with full wet tyres, continued to report the temperature difference between the front brakes. However, the session for the two Alfa Romeo squires ended with encouraging results, with Bottas in P9 and Zhou in P11. Yuki Tsunoda, another Asian rider in the paddock as well as a local champion in Japan, closed the session in P19. At the end of the session, in the starting practice Mick Schumacher - who had closed in P7 - lost control hitting the wall with the front of the car. Among other things, in the exact point where unfortunately in 2014 Jules Bianchi had the fatal accident. However, we'll see if the Haas team will be able to get the car back on track for FP2.
While waiting for FP2 we leave you with all times of FP1
