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First practice at the Japanese Grand Prix, and the locals had more to cheer about than usual.
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In case you missed it, there's been some driver changes since F1 raced in Shanghai.
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Liam Lawson, who'd been struggling with the Red Bull, has been replaced after just two races by Yuki Sonoda, with the New Zealander slotting into the Japanese driver's vacant seat at Racing Bulls.
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Sonoda was sporting a Kabuki theme lid for the occasion of his first home Grand Prix in Red Bull colors.
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Boyed by the enthusiastic local support, he was on track early.
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Getting to grips with the RB21, sliding through turn 11.
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How is the balance that lap?
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Yeah, balance is okay, um, to be honest, I'm not really pushing enough yet, but uh, I think it's okay.
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Teammate Max Verstappen was also finding the handling a little concerning.
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Uh, it's a bit weird and the car is flexing a lot.
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Later on, the defending champion had a lock up at the chicane.
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Decent session for Milton Keanes finalist.
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Max finished P5, Yuki one place, a tenth of a second further back.
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A few one-off liveries for this weekend, Red Bull have opted for their lesser spotted white Honda paint job.
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Which we haven't seen since the 2021 Turkish Grand Prix.
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While Hass is celebrating Japan's world famous cherry blossom season, the VF25s resplendent with the cascades of pink petals.
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Japanese fans had two drivers to cheer around Suzuka, Alpine reserve Rio Hirakawa, a former 24 hours of Le Mans winner, was given one of the team's rookie outings.
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Taking the A525 for an hour in front of his home crowd.
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Any initial balance feeling looks a little bit nervous low speed perhaps.
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Oh, oh, oh.
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Carlos Sainz missed the Williams pit box at one point, which seemed to amuse the Spaniard.
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Box, box, not right behind, box, box.
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Remember we had the bing of the.
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Oh, I missed it guys.
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I thought we were at the end.
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Sorry.
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Okay.
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So straight out.
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And we're boxing again.
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Yeah, sorry for that.
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Teammate Alex Albon later suffered a lock up at turn 11 and found the gravel.
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After their unprecedented double disqualification in Shanghai, Ferrari will be looking to bounce back in Suzuka.
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Lewis Hamilton knows this track well, he's a four-time winner here and took another victory at Fuji in 2007.
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Top spot on Sunday would see him equal Michael Schumacher's record of six wins in the land of the rising sun.
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But it was teammate Charles Leclair with the F1 brightening rights, almost a tenth quicker than the seven-time world champion.
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George Russell, currently third in the driver standings, had a solid session, laying down a lot of laps, the most of anyone.
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And some were pretty quick, the best good enough for P2 as the flag fell.
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Mercedes teammate Kimmy Antonelli suffered a slight lock up at turn 11, which took him deep and onto the stones.
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P9 for his efforts this session.
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Yeah, not bad.
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Current driver's championship leader Lando Norris, his front wing slavered in Flovis was pushing hard, taking every inch of curb through the chicane.
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Later he took a trip through the loose stuff at the same spot on a fast lap.
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Almost losing the car.
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And he's through the gravel.
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He's attacking.
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The final chicane with a with a lot of speed.
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Still quite a green circuit.
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It's not rubbered in.
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It will improve.
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But when he put it all together, he showed just how quick the 2025 McLaren is, topping the timing tables with a lap times at 1 minute 28 549.
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Russell was P2 around a tenth and a half back from the leader, then came Leclair and Hamilton followed by the two Red Bulls.
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Verstappen then Sonoda, Fernando Alonso, a winner at this track in 2006 was P7.
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Ahead of Isaac Hajar, Antonelli and Science, P11 for Albon, and he was ahead of home favorite Hirakawa, Liam Lawson, Pierre Gasly, Oscar Piastri, Lance Stroll, Nico Hulkenberg, Oliver Bearman, Esteban Ocon and Gabriel Bortoleto.
