The first record of the classification is for the Racing Bulls: Liam Lawson turned in 1:31.785 and Arvid Lindblad clocked 1:31.634.
Green light! Q1 is already underway. The 22 drivers will have 18 minutes to avoid being among the first six eliminated.
The temperature in Suzuka is 17°C, rising to 32°C on the track with a humidity of 57%.
The Japanese Grand Prix classification is coming!
Warning for Oscar Piastri
“The stewards determined that the driver of car 81 unnecessarily impeded car 27 and imposed the usual penalty for such an infringement in a free practice session: a warning,” the FIA reported.
Qualifying Format at the Japanese Grand Prix
Three qualifying rounds are set for this race. Q1 features 18 minutes to eliminate six cars (positions 17 to 22), followed by Q2 which lasts 15 minutes to eliminate another six cars (positions 10 to 16). Finally, Q3 sees the 10 fastest cars battle for pole position over 13 minutes.
Franco Colapinto’s Performance
2026 Rankings:
- 16th at the Australian Grand Prix
- 16th in the Chinese Grand Prix Sprint
- 12th at the Chinese Grand Prix
Franco Colapinto’s Practice Records
FP1: 1:33.361 (23 laps) – 16th place
FP2: 1:32.428 (26 laps) – 17th place
FP3: 1:31.759 (25 laps) – 17th place
End of FP3: Andrea Kimi Antonelli was the fastest with a lap of 1:29.362, followed by his teammate George Russell (1:29.616) and Charles Leclerc in third place (1:30.229).
Franco Colapinto improved his time during the session with a final lap of 1:31.759, but ultimately ended in 17th place. He was 0.677 seconds behind his partner Pierre Gasly, who secured 10th place with a lap time of 1:31.082.
Nico Hulkenberg also shone, placing 7th with a time of 1:30.658.
Future Prospects
This marks Franco Colapinto’s first time at the iconic Suzuka circuit, which spans 5,807 meters and features 53 turns. As the Japanese Grand Prix approaches, Colapinto aims to enhance his performance, particularly as the season progresses and teams regroup following the break in racing activity.
