Formula 1 returned to the famous Suzuka circuit in Japan for the 14th round of the 2015 season.
It was the 31st Japanese Grand Prix in the sport's history and the 27th time the race had taken place at the historic track.
FP1
It was a wet start to the opening day of running at Suzuka, with Marcus Ericsson being the first to sample the tricky track conditions in first practice. Daniil Kvyat and Singapore winner Sebastian Vettel soon took to the track on the wet Pirelli tyre.
However, there was very little on-track action in the first 50 minutes of FP1. Most drivers just opted for an early installation lap before pitting. It took almost an hour for the first timed lap to be completed, a 1:51.741.
He was quickly displaced by team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr, before Nico Rosberg moved to the top of the timesheets. With 30 minutes to go, some drivers decided to switch to the intermediate tyre. Eight drivers did not set a time in the session, but it was Sainz Jr who ended FP1 fastest with a 1:49.434.
Kvyat, Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Verstappen, Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa, Marcus Ericsson, Valtteri Bottas - who suffered a big moment at 130R - and Felipe Nasr were next up. Jenson Button completed the results.
FP2
With conditions improving slightly for second practice, it was a busier start to the session. Kvyat was the first driver on track for Red Bull and the Russian put in the opening timed lap with a 1:49.374.
The majority of the field kicked off their running on the intermediate tyre. When Rosberg changed tyres, he moved to the top of the timesheets with a 1:48.300, with Hamilton going five tenths down in second place.
Plenty of drivers suffered off-track excursions, while Fernando Alonso missed some running due to an engine change and Bottas only completed one installation lap to conserve tyres. Kvyat returned to the front just before the rain returned. With drivers switching to the full wet tyre, he ended FP2 fastest.
He put in a 1:48.277, 0.023 seconds faster than Rosberg. Hamilton was third, ahead of Daniel RIcciardo, Vettel, Raikkonen, Sainz Jr, Verstappen - who missed some running early on when a screw was lost - and Nasr. Pastor Maldonado completed the top 10.
FP3
Unsurprisingly, with dry weather conditions for final practice, it was a very busy session. A queue of cars lined up at the pit lane exit waiting for the green light, with drivers setting lap times straight away - Ricciardo was first with a 1:36.392.
Teams split tyre strategies and fuel loads for the opening runs, with some on the medium tyre and others on the harder compound. It took over 10 minutes for Vettel and Raikkonen to get times on the board.
The artificial grass got plenty of use during the session, with several wild moments as drivers attempted to find the limit. Ricciardo switched to the medium tyre and improved, before finding three tenths to put in a 1:34.497. However, he dropped back when Mercedes moved to the options.
Rosberg ended FP3 fastest with a 1:33.995, having taken over first place mid-way through practice. Hamilton was three tenths down in second, ahead of Ricciardo, Bottas, Massa, Raikkonen, Verstappen and Vettel. Grosjean and Sainz Jr completed the top 10. Kvyat went off on several option tyre laps and he was 14th.
Qualifying
Q1
The slowest five drivers were eliminated from qualifying in the opening 18-minute segment. Verstappen, Sainz Jr and Grosjean were the first to exit the pit lane and take to Suzuka at the start of Q1.
Verstappen also put in the opening timed lap with a 1:35.415, with Maldonado and Kvyat going second and third with their first attempts. However, he wasn't fastest for long, with Hamilton putting in a 1:33.595 to go four tenths faster than team-mate Rosberg.
The yellow flags emerged briefly after a spin for Ericsson at Spoon. The midfield runners then switched to the option tyre for the final runs in Q1. Hamilton went quicker and put in a 1:32.884 on the hard compound, with Rosberg also finding time but going two tenths down.
Raikkonen was third, ahead of Bottas, Grosjean, Ricciardo, Vettel and Verstappen - who stopped at the hairpin with a loss of power and brought out the yellow flags. Kvyat and Massa completed the top 10. The Toro Rosso's error cost several drivers. Button was eliminated in 16th, with Ericsson, Nasr, Stevens and Rossi also failing to make it through.
Q2
Rosberg and Hamilton were the first drivers to take to the track in the second segment of qualifying. The 15-minute session saw the fastest 10 drivers progress to the pole position shoot-out.
The two Mercedes drivers put in the opening timed laps, with everyone on the medium compound tyre. Rosberg was fastest with a 1:32.632, one tenth ahead of Hamilton. Raikkonen moved ahead of the Williams drivers.
The top six drivers opted to stay in their pit garages for the final part of Q2. Rosberg remained fastest from his Mercedes team-mate, Raikkonen, Massa, Bottas and Vettel. Behind, Ricciardo was sevtnh, with Perez, Kvyat and Grosjean improving late on.
Hulkenberg was demoted to 11th and moved into the drop-zone in the final seconds, with Sainz Jr also dropping out of the top 10. Maldonado was 13th and Alonso could only manage 14th, while Verstappen failed to take part after stopping in the first session.
Q3
The final segment of qualifying saw 10 drivers battle it out for first place on the Japanese Grand Prix grid. Rosberg, Ricciardo and Hamilton were first on track.
The former put in the opening timed lap with a 1:32.584 and took provisional pole position. Hamilton was quicker in sector one but lost out in the final two parts of the lap to go 0.076 seconds slower.
Once the first attempts were completed, it was Bottas who led the charge to be best of the rest, ahead of Vettel and Massa. Drivers re-appeared with three minutes left on the clock to set their second times. Kvyat clipped the grass at the kink prior to the hairpin, lost control and had a big crash.
He was okay but the red flags emerged with 36 seconds remaining, meaning there was no way of improving. Rosberg claimed his second consecutive pole position at Suzuka, with Hamilton and Bottas next up. Vettel, Massa, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Grosjean, Perez and Kvyat completed the top 10.
The Race
Rosberg lined up on pole position for round 14 of the season at Suzuka, but could he hold off team-mate Hamilton and close in on the two-time champion in the title race?
The revs rose, the lights went out and the Japanese Grand Prix got underway. Off the line, Hamilton had a strong start to challenge Rosberg into Turn 1. They went side-by-side through the opening two corners but it was Hamilton who emerged ahead.
Rosberg was edged onto the kerb at the exit of the second turn and dropped back to fourth place, behind Vettel and Bottas. Perez went off and through the gravel at the first corner, while Massa and Ricciardo both hit trouble after contact between the two.
All three drivers suffered punctures and had to pit for fresh tyres at the end of the opening tour. Hamilton eked out a 2.2 second lead over Vettel by the second lap, with Bottas a further 1.4 seconds behind Vettel. Grosjean and Maldonado moved up to sixth and seventh early on, with Hulkenberg and Alonso also gaining several positions.
Button was struggling for pace and lost out to both Nasr and Verstappen at Turn 1 on lap five. Alonso also started to drop back and was passed by Ericsson on the run to the first corner with DRS on the following tour.
Verstappen was getting frustrated behind Nasr, saying he "can't get past" the Sauber. He was struggling with poor straight line speed and couldn't get close enough. Kvyat was the first driver to make a scheduled pit stop, moving onto the hard tyre on lap nine. Alonso and Verstappen also pitted next time round.
The first round of stops was well underway when Hulkenberg, Button and Nasr stopped on lap 11. Ericsson spun and lost time, dropping behind his team-mate briefly before the Brazilian pitted. Bottas was the first front-runner to put on lap 12, remaining on the medium compound.
Vettel waited until lap 14 to pit and, unlike Bottas, he went onto the hard Pirelli tyre. He emerged ahead of Bottas. Mercedes waited until lap 16 to pit Rosberg, with Hamilton staying out for one further tour of Suzuka. The former went onto the prime tyre, with the latter remaining on the options.
Hamilton had a 6.9 second lead over Vettel after the opening round of stops. Rosberg was told to "push" and attack Bottas to ruin his tyres and the two battled it out over third place. The German dived down the inside of the Williams at the chicane and gained the position.
Hulkenberg was the driver to gain the most from the pit stops, moving ahead of both Lotus cars and into sixth. Having disposed of Bottas, Rosberg then started to quickly catch Vettel, despite the Mercedes running on the slower of the two Pirelli compounds.
Kvyat stopped for a second time on lap 21 and went onto a new set of mediums. As Rosberg caught Vettel, the Ferrari driver's team-mate was all over the back of Bottas. Further ahead Hamilton continued to extend his lead, it was 12.1 seconds by lap 23.
Having spent several laps behind Alonso's McLaren, Verstappen finally got past the Spaniard around the outside into Turn 1 on lap 26. Alonso was clearly frustrated, complaining about having a "GP2 engine" compared to the rest. Sainz Jr stopped on lap 28 for tyres and with a damaged front wing after hitting the pit entry cone.
Raikkonen was the first front-runner to pit on lap 29, with Rosberg and Bottas stopping on the next lap. The latter emerged behind Raikkonen, losing a place. Vettel was next in and returned to the track behind Rosberg, with the undercut working well for the Mercedes driver.
Race leader Hamilton pitted on lap 32 and emerged well in front of the chasing pack, although his lead over the next car was cut to under 10 seconds.
Vettel managed to keep with Rosberg early on after the stops. Kvyat pitted for the third time on lap 35, going for a three-stop strategy. Meanwhile the closest battle on track at the time was over ninth between Perez and Sainz Jr.
Button was running in 13th place but he quickly fell behind both Perez, who had just stopped, and Kvyat. Both drivers passed the Brit at 130R. Rosberg lost time through traffic, with Hamilton's advantage increasing to 12 seconds. The slow lap also enabled Vettel to close in on the Mercedes.
Stevens suffered a big spin at the exit of 130R. He didn't hit anything but almost collected his team-mate Rossi. Meanwhile Verstappen passed Sainz Jr at the chicane for ninth. A mistake for Ericsson finally let Perez through and the Sauber driver then had to defend from the Red Bull duo.
Hamilton crossed the line 19 seconds clear of Rosberg to win his second Japanese GP and claim his eighth victory of the season. Vettel completed the podium, with Raikkonen and Bottas rounding out the top five. Hulkenberg was sixth, with Grosjean and Maldonado next up.
Verstappen was ninth, with Sainz Jr taking the final point. Alonso, Perez, Kvyat, Ericsson and Ricciardo all finished ahead of Button, with Massa in 16th. Rossi and Stevens were the last finishers, with Nasr failing to reach the chequered flag.
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| © Octane Photographic |
Lewis Hamilton
had a 41-point lead in the drivers' standings over Nico Rosberg prior to
the race weekend, following the Singapore Grand Prix under the lights.
It was the 31st Japanese Grand Prix in the sport's history and the 27th time the race had taken place at the historic track.
FP1
It was a wet start to the opening day of running at Suzuka, with Marcus Ericsson being the first to sample the tricky track conditions in first practice. Daniil Kvyat and Singapore winner Sebastian Vettel soon took to the track on the wet Pirelli tyre.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
However, there was very little on-track action in the first 50 minutes of FP1. Most drivers just opted for an early installation lap before pitting. It took almost an hour for the first timed lap to be completed, a 1:51.741.
He was quickly displaced by team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr, before Nico Rosberg moved to the top of the timesheets. With 30 minutes to go, some drivers decided to switch to the intermediate tyre. Eight drivers did not set a time in the session, but it was Sainz Jr who ended FP1 fastest with a 1:49.434.
Kvyat, Rosberg, Sebastian Vettel, Lewis Hamilton, Verstappen, Kimi Raikkonen, Felipe Massa, Marcus Ericsson, Valtteri Bottas - who suffered a big moment at 130R - and Felipe Nasr were next up. Jenson Button completed the results.
FP2
With conditions improving slightly for second practice, it was a busier start to the session. Kvyat was the first driver on track for Red Bull and the Russian put in the opening timed lap with a 1:49.374.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
The majority of the field kicked off their running on the intermediate tyre. When Rosberg changed tyres, he moved to the top of the timesheets with a 1:48.300, with Hamilton going five tenths down in second place.
Plenty of drivers suffered off-track excursions, while Fernando Alonso missed some running due to an engine change and Bottas only completed one installation lap to conserve tyres. Kvyat returned to the front just before the rain returned. With drivers switching to the full wet tyre, he ended FP2 fastest.
He put in a 1:48.277, 0.023 seconds faster than Rosberg. Hamilton was third, ahead of Daniel RIcciardo, Vettel, Raikkonen, Sainz Jr, Verstappen - who missed some running early on when a screw was lost - and Nasr. Pastor Maldonado completed the top 10.
FP3
Unsurprisingly, with dry weather conditions for final practice, it was a very busy session. A queue of cars lined up at the pit lane exit waiting for the green light, with drivers setting lap times straight away - Ricciardo was first with a 1:36.392.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
Teams split tyre strategies and fuel loads for the opening runs, with some on the medium tyre and others on the harder compound. It took over 10 minutes for Vettel and Raikkonen to get times on the board.
The artificial grass got plenty of use during the session, with several wild moments as drivers attempted to find the limit. Ricciardo switched to the medium tyre and improved, before finding three tenths to put in a 1:34.497. However, he dropped back when Mercedes moved to the options.
Rosberg ended FP3 fastest with a 1:33.995, having taken over first place mid-way through practice. Hamilton was three tenths down in second, ahead of Ricciardo, Bottas, Massa, Raikkonen, Verstappen and Vettel. Grosjean and Sainz Jr completed the top 10. Kvyat went off on several option tyre laps and he was 14th.
Qualifying
Q1
The slowest five drivers were eliminated from qualifying in the opening 18-minute segment. Verstappen, Sainz Jr and Grosjean were the first to exit the pit lane and take to Suzuka at the start of Q1.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
Verstappen also put in the opening timed lap with a 1:35.415, with Maldonado and Kvyat going second and third with their first attempts. However, he wasn't fastest for long, with Hamilton putting in a 1:33.595 to go four tenths faster than team-mate Rosberg.
The yellow flags emerged briefly after a spin for Ericsson at Spoon. The midfield runners then switched to the option tyre for the final runs in Q1. Hamilton went quicker and put in a 1:32.884 on the hard compound, with Rosberg also finding time but going two tenths down.
Raikkonen was third, ahead of Bottas, Grosjean, Ricciardo, Vettel and Verstappen - who stopped at the hairpin with a loss of power and brought out the yellow flags. Kvyat and Massa completed the top 10. The Toro Rosso's error cost several drivers. Button was eliminated in 16th, with Ericsson, Nasr, Stevens and Rossi also failing to make it through.
Q2
Rosberg and Hamilton were the first drivers to take to the track in the second segment of qualifying. The 15-minute session saw the fastest 10 drivers progress to the pole position shoot-out.
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
The two Mercedes drivers put in the opening timed laps, with everyone on the medium compound tyre. Rosberg was fastest with a 1:32.632, one tenth ahead of Hamilton. Raikkonen moved ahead of the Williams drivers.
The top six drivers opted to stay in their pit garages for the final part of Q2. Rosberg remained fastest from his Mercedes team-mate, Raikkonen, Massa, Bottas and Vettel. Behind, Ricciardo was sevtnh, with Perez, Kvyat and Grosjean improving late on.
Hulkenberg was demoted to 11th and moved into the drop-zone in the final seconds, with Sainz Jr also dropping out of the top 10. Maldonado was 13th and Alonso could only manage 14th, while Verstappen failed to take part after stopping in the first session.
Q3
The final segment of qualifying saw 10 drivers battle it out for first place on the Japanese Grand Prix grid. Rosberg, Ricciardo and Hamilton were first on track.
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| © Octane Photographic |
The former put in the opening timed lap with a 1:32.584 and took provisional pole position. Hamilton was quicker in sector one but lost out in the final two parts of the lap to go 0.076 seconds slower.
Once the first attempts were completed, it was Bottas who led the charge to be best of the rest, ahead of Vettel and Massa. Drivers re-appeared with three minutes left on the clock to set their second times. Kvyat clipped the grass at the kink prior to the hairpin, lost control and had a big crash.
He was okay but the red flags emerged with 36 seconds remaining, meaning there was no way of improving. Rosberg claimed his second consecutive pole position at Suzuka, with Hamilton and Bottas next up. Vettel, Massa, Raikkonen, Ricciardo, Grosjean, Perez and Kvyat completed the top 10.
The Race
Rosberg lined up on pole position for round 14 of the season at Suzuka, but could he hold off team-mate Hamilton and close in on the two-time champion in the title race?
 |
| © Octane Photographic |
The revs rose, the lights went out and the Japanese Grand Prix got underway. Off the line, Hamilton had a strong start to challenge Rosberg into Turn 1. They went side-by-side through the opening two corners but it was Hamilton who emerged ahead.
Rosberg was edged onto the kerb at the exit of the second turn and dropped back to fourth place, behind Vettel and Bottas. Perez went off and through the gravel at the first corner, while Massa and Ricciardo both hit trouble after contact between the two.
All three drivers suffered punctures and had to pit for fresh tyres at the end of the opening tour. Hamilton eked out a 2.2 second lead over Vettel by the second lap, with Bottas a further 1.4 seconds behind Vettel. Grosjean and Maldonado moved up to sixth and seventh early on, with Hulkenberg and Alonso also gaining several positions.
Button was struggling for pace and lost out to both Nasr and Verstappen at Turn 1 on lap five. Alonso also started to drop back and was passed by Ericsson on the run to the first corner with DRS on the following tour.
Verstappen was getting frustrated behind Nasr, saying he "can't get past" the Sauber. He was struggling with poor straight line speed and couldn't get close enough. Kvyat was the first driver to make a scheduled pit stop, moving onto the hard tyre on lap nine. Alonso and Verstappen also pitted next time round.
The first round of stops was well underway when Hulkenberg, Button and Nasr stopped on lap 11. Ericsson spun and lost time, dropping behind his team-mate briefly before the Brazilian pitted. Bottas was the first front-runner to put on lap 12, remaining on the medium compound.
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| © Octane Photographic |
Vettel waited until lap 14 to pit and, unlike Bottas, he went onto the hard Pirelli tyre. He emerged ahead of Bottas. Mercedes waited until lap 16 to pit Rosberg, with Hamilton staying out for one further tour of Suzuka. The former went onto the prime tyre, with the latter remaining on the options.
Hamilton had a 6.9 second lead over Vettel after the opening round of stops. Rosberg was told to "push" and attack Bottas to ruin his tyres and the two battled it out over third place. The German dived down the inside of the Williams at the chicane and gained the position.
Hulkenberg was the driver to gain the most from the pit stops, moving ahead of both Lotus cars and into sixth. Having disposed of Bottas, Rosberg then started to quickly catch Vettel, despite the Mercedes running on the slower of the two Pirelli compounds.
Kvyat stopped for a second time on lap 21 and went onto a new set of mediums. As Rosberg caught Vettel, the Ferrari driver's team-mate was all over the back of Bottas. Further ahead Hamilton continued to extend his lead, it was 12.1 seconds by lap 23.
Having spent several laps behind Alonso's McLaren, Verstappen finally got past the Spaniard around the outside into Turn 1 on lap 26. Alonso was clearly frustrated, complaining about having a "GP2 engine" compared to the rest. Sainz Jr stopped on lap 28 for tyres and with a damaged front wing after hitting the pit entry cone.
Raikkonen was the first front-runner to pit on lap 29, with Rosberg and Bottas stopping on the next lap. The latter emerged behind Raikkonen, losing a place. Vettel was next in and returned to the track behind Rosberg, with the undercut working well for the Mercedes driver.
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| © Octane Photographic |
Race leader Hamilton pitted on lap 32 and emerged well in front of the chasing pack, although his lead over the next car was cut to under 10 seconds.
Vettel managed to keep with Rosberg early on after the stops. Kvyat pitted for the third time on lap 35, going for a three-stop strategy. Meanwhile the closest battle on track at the time was over ninth between Perez and Sainz Jr.
Button was running in 13th place but he quickly fell behind both Perez, who had just stopped, and Kvyat. Both drivers passed the Brit at 130R. Rosberg lost time through traffic, with Hamilton's advantage increasing to 12 seconds. The slow lap also enabled Vettel to close in on the Mercedes.
Stevens suffered a big spin at the exit of 130R. He didn't hit anything but almost collected his team-mate Rossi. Meanwhile Verstappen passed Sainz Jr at the chicane for ninth. A mistake for Ericsson finally let Perez through and the Sauber driver then had to defend from the Red Bull duo.
Hamilton crossed the line 19 seconds clear of Rosberg to win his second Japanese GP and claim his eighth victory of the season. Vettel completed the podium, with Raikkonen and Bottas rounding out the top five. Hulkenberg was sixth, with Grosjean and Maldonado next up.
Verstappen was ninth, with Sainz Jr taking the final point. Alonso, Perez, Kvyat, Ericsson and Ricciardo all finished ahead of Button, with Massa in 16th. Rossi and Stevens were the last finishers, with Nasr failing to reach the chequered flag.
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