Follow the Japanese GP race live

The start of the Japanese Grand Prix, contested on the demanding Suzuka track, will be held at 7 a.m. French time. Follow our live text on this occasion.

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) will start again from pole position, but will have to watch in his mirrors the car red from Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari). The German, in good form in the first free practice session, will start from second place on the starting grid; if he wants to make up for his deficit in terms of the Englishman, Vettel will have to do better than in qualifying where he was never able to worry his opponent.

Due to the various penalties, many drivers had their locations changed. Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) will start 6th, Kimi Räikkönen (Ferrari) 10th, Jolyon Palmer (Renault) 18th for his last event with the French team in F1, his replacement Carlos Sainz Jr. (Toro Rosso)19th, and Fernando Alonso (McLaren) 20th and last.

Esteban Ocon (Force India) will have a card to play with a fifth place on the grid, two positions ahead of his teammate and first rival Sergio Pérez. Pierre Gasly (Toro Rosso) will start 14th, alongside Romain Grosjean (Haas), 13th.