2019 Japanese GP Build Up, Practice & Qualifying thread

[tifosi1993]

Ian Fergusson @fergieweather

#F1 #BBCF1 #JAPANESEGP UPDATE: Latest predicted track of #Hagibis (below, JTWC) sees it close to #Suzuka into Sat, reaffirming prior forecast emphasis. Sun will improve considerably (albeit v windy AM). Follow my colleague @andrewbensonf1 for updates re any scheduling decisions.

[alfaromeo]

Rain rain rain

[Tifoso Svedese]

There will be so much rain that I think there's no way qualifying is going to be able to be held on Saturday. Like 30 mm per hour all morning by the looks of things. There's no way the track is going to be able to be sufficiently drained after that deluge. Sunday morning qualifying like 2004 in other words.

[Greig]

They should just already cancel Saturday to save fans turning up to watch nothing.

[stefa]

Are we supposed to be good here? I know rain is lottery...

[nani_s23]

They should just already cancel Saturday to save fans turning up to watch nothing.

They will not do ....this F1 management are really stupid...!!

[Brembo]

What if it stops raining?

[Ferrarichamp]

Ferrari have not won the Japanese GP since 2004, Honda since 1991
I wonder if Honda will take a risk here and push their PU more than usual.

Red Bull to get fuel upgrade:
https://www.gpfans.com/en/articles/4...uzuka-upgrade/

[Brembo]

I believe Max will go all out as far as pushing his car. Remember he took a penalty to get this new engine. Honda R Bull team will be happy to see him do whatever it takes. Monza Ferrari, Japan Honda !!! Charles is for sure ready .

[tifosi1993]

International rugby matches are cancelled for Saturday.

I think qualifying will be held at 9a.m (japan's local time) on Sunday.

[jgonzalesm6]

International rugby matches are cancelled for Saturday.

I think qualifying will be held at 9a.m (japan's local time) on Sunday.

They(drivers) are trying to push it for Friday.

[paolo lalli]

Lewis Hamilton has stated that mercedes drivers philosophy is right compared to Ferrari and that promoting Charles to N1 would be a mistake.Lewis there are no butlers at Ferrari no lap dogs and no puppets.This approach is the only one you can work under.If Lewis is pushed inside a team he cracks this is his Achilles heel.Past history has shown this happening to him.He should be counting his lucky stars that Charles or seb is not at mercedes as a driver. Lewis would cry a river.Now that Ferrari have a decent car and are winning the second half of the season thus far he has been beaten.His last race win was gifted due to Ferrari politics meaning he has not won clearly since the summer break .I expect some serious moaning before years end and the butler botas better play his part if he wants to stay at mercedes.

[gump1480]

Coming back to the topic, the Mercs look on fire !!

[FerrariF60]

oh,no.....doom an gloom.....the Mercs are way faster then us.....guess we had a good streak for last 4 races....now at high speed corners is the Merc on top.....:(

[KimiBot]

We are favorites in every track now.

[gump1480]

We "were" favorites... Mercs have definitely taken a step with the Aero upgrades this race.

[FerrariF60]

We are favorites in every track now.

NOT at this one looking at times.....looking at onboard footage the mercs are much tidier then US.....
unless we're NOT showing our hand yet, OR the engines are turned WAY down

[FerrariF60]

We "were" favorites... Mercs have definitely taken a step with the Aero upgrades this race.

^this.....deff Merc have brought a Massive upgrade this weekend.....did ferrari bring anygthing NEW?? not that i've see any

[tifosi1993]

This is only FP1, no need to panic. We shall see in FP2, I believe everyone will be on their race engine and gearbox then.

[gump1480]

Maybe our engine is turned down as Mercs are 0.3s faster than anyone in the power sector S3. But who knows, they might have shredded some drag with that new aero package. Can't be sure about this one till Sunday morning.

[FerrariF60]

Maybe our engine is turned down as Mercs are 0.3s faster than anyone in the power sector S3. But who knows, they might have shredded some drag with that new aero package. Can't be sure about this one till Sunday morning.

yeah, something dont add up.....we can't be more then a second down on the merc clowns.....
we'll see come quali where we are...

[tifosi1993]

FP1 best sector (Ferrari, Mercedes, Red Bull)

Sector 1:
Bottas 31.108
Hamilton 31.264
Vettel 31.558
Verstappen 31.583
Leclerc 31.656
Albon 31.867

Sector 2:
Bottas 40.021
Hamilton 40.086
Vettel 40.383
Leclerc 40.483
Verstappen 40.683
Albon 40.783

Sector 3:
Hamilton 17.457
Bottas 17.602
Albon 17.725
Verstappen 17.730
Leclerc 17.773
Vettel 17.779

[paolo lalli]

Ferrari are sand bagging 100%.

[nani_s23]

Don’t panic.... there’s still a lot to come. Ferrari are setting up their car ...!!

[tifosi1993]

Both cars out on track. Lec on mediums, Vet on softs. I think Vet will go for a quali lap.

Edit: And Vettel indeed does a quali-sim lap.

[tifosi1993]

Mercedes and Verstappen on new softs, Ferrari doing the usual Friday practice running. I hope they will go for another quali run, probably at the end of FP2 .

[PURE PASSION]

It looks like we are the only ones to do proper race sim. But in this strange situation we are facing this weekend and the possibility of not having qualifications on Sunday and starting on this (fp2) order,well we MUST do another good qualy sim!!!!

[nani_s23]

Ferrari doing race sim, where’s as mercs/RB did quali sim with that extra set of softs.
If Sunday quali is washed off, then FP2 will be the grid for race start. So RB going on all fumes at this session.

[tifosi1993]

Well...long run pace doesn't look impressive. Mercedes look faster, a lot faster in fact.

[nani_s23]

It looks like we are the only ones to do proper race sim. But in this strange situation we are facing this weekend and the possibility of not having qualifications on Sunday and starting on this (fp2) order,well we MUST do another good qualy sim!!!!

I understand ferrari strategy, they want to get much more data from race sim & optimise the car. Through simulator ...
This is how they were successful.