Qualifying at the Suzuka International Racing Course set for Saturday in advance of Sunday’s Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix.
Pole position proves important to winning at the Suzuka International Racing Course, as the last six Japanese Grand Prix winners started from P1 en route to the top of the podium. Qualifying for this year’s edition of the race takes place on Saturday with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen looking for both his third consecutive pole position and victory at the popular track. The last driver to win the race without starting at the front of the grid was Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes, who found his way past pole-sitter Nico Rosberg on the way to the third of his five wins at Suzuka in 2015.
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Date: April 6, 2024
Time: 1:55 a.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
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The race moved much earlier on the F1 calendar this year, from September to April, as the FIA attempted to make the schedule more regionalized in order to reduce travel between events. Teams raced last weekend in Australia. Last year’s Australian Grand Prix was followed by a three-week break before the schedule resumed in Azerbaijan.
Suzuka, one of the most popular courses among drivers, opened as a Honda test track in 1962 and was renovated to F1 standards in 1987. The track covers 3.608 miles with 18 turns. Hamilton set the record for the fastest race lap in 2019 with a 1:30.983 time.
Verstappen had a nine-race winning streak stopped in Melbourne last weekend, when he retired after three laps with brake problems. That cut his lead in the driver standings to just four points over Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Sergio Pérez of Red Bull is five points back, followed by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz (11 points behind after winning in Australia) and Oscar Piastri of McLaren (23 points back).
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