F1: Alonso tops a wet opening Japanese GP practice

BWT Alpine veteran Fernando Alonso turned the fastest lap on a very wet Suzuka track to top opening practice for the Japanese GP.

Alonso’s lap of 1m42.248s using Intermediate rain tires was 0.315s faster than the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz Jr. Sainz was also on Intermediate tires.

With F1 returning to Suzuka for the first time since 2019, heavy rain greeted the drivers ahead of the opening 60-minute session. While there was a break in the conditions as the action got under way, Pirelli’s wet and intermediate tires were in use throughout.

Using full wet Pirellis, Charles Leclerc was 3rd fastest in the 2nd Ferrari, 0.386s behind Alonso.

Esteban Ocon was 4th in the 2nd Alpine, 0.774s behind, while Kevin Magnussen rounded out the top-5 for Haas ahead of Max Verstappen for Red Bull.

Verstappen is hoping to wrap up the 2022 driving title this weekend and did not take any unnecessary risks that might result in a crash on the treacherous track. He only ran 4 laps.

Almost everyone kept out of the barriers, which was job number one completed. There were a few small moments, with Leclerc and Latifi both heading through the gravel, with Ricciardo did a little bit of lawn mowing at one stage.

But just when you thought the action was done and dusted, Mick Schumacher, still riding his daddy’s coattails, had the biggest moment of the session by crashing into the barriers tearing both the right front and left front off the car!

Fighting to keep his ride with Haas, he lost the rear and spun off into the barriers at the exit of Turn 7.  Up until then, Schumacher was 7th quick, 1.513s off the pace but behind his teammate.  Trying to beat his teammate, he ran out of talent on the final lap of practice and his wadded up Haas came back on the flatbed.

Practice 1 Results