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      F1 Japanese Grand Prix LIVE REACTION: Vestappen WORLD CHAMPION, Leclerc handed PENALTY on final lap in POOR conditions

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN was named Champion of the World with victory in the Japanese Grand Prix.Max Verstappen surrendered the opportunity to clinch a second successive championship win in Singapore last weekend.
      The Red Bull driver came out on top in the Suzuka Circuit amid poor weather conditions .
      Lando Norris took to Twitter to criticise the decision to resume as Verstappen came out on top.
      Charles Leclerc was handed a penalty in the final lap, seeing Sergio Perez pushed up to second in an entertaining affair.
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      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
      Leclerc slams truck decision
      Charles Leclerc, the godson of tragic Jules Bianchi, added to the criticism of race chiefs for allowing a recovery truck on.
      The Ferrari driver said: “We shouldn’t see these things. Something happened in 2014 and we should learn from it.
      “I hope we learn from it and that we don’t see these things again.”
      Race chiefs blasted for letting truck on
      Drivers and team bosses slated Japanese GP officials for putting a recovery truck on a wet track while racing continued.
      They blasted the “unacceptable” decision – eight years after French driver Jules Bianchi died when he hit a similar vehicle in the same GP.
      Alpha Tauri star, who passed the truck today, said: “I’m just extremely grateful that I am here.”
      “How can there be a crane, not even in the gravel, on the race track, while we are still on the track? I don’t understand.
      “We lost Jules already. We all lost an amazing guy, eight years ago, at the same track, in the same conditions with the crane.
      “It was disrespectful to Jules, it’s disrespectful to his family and to all of us.
      “We are risking all lives out there. We are doing the best job in the world, but what we are asking is to at least keep us safe.”
      ‘Are you sure I’ve won it?’
      Even Max Verstappen was unsure he’d clinched his second successive title as F1 confusion reigned again following his Japanese GP win today.
      The sport’s chiefs had to step in to confirm full points would be awarded – despite it running little more than half distance.
      Had it been only three-quarter points – as all teams expected – Verstappen would have still need a point at the USA GP on October 23 to seal his second crown.
      He was heard asking: “Are you sure?” when told he was champ.
      And after being reassured of his title he said: “It’s crazy, very mixed emotions.
      “I’m so thankful to everyone who’s been contributing to the success, the whole team has been working flat out.
      Beside that, the work we did with Honda every year, constantly improving, gets very emotional especially here. I’m very proud we could do it here.
      “The first is more emotional but the second is more beautiful. We’re leading the constructors so we want to focus on that, to secure that.”
      F1 congratulates our NEW champion
      Formula 1 tweeted:
      “MAX VERSTAPPEN.
      “TWO-TIME WORLD CHAMPION!!!”

      Back-to-back title wins for Verstappen
      Max Verstappen has clinched his SECOND Formula One world championship title with four races to go.
      The Dutchman started in P1 in Japan and dominated the rain soaked race, crossing the line with a lead greater than 20 seconds.
      Title rival Charles Leclerc finished second, which would’ve seen the title race go into Austin in two weeks time.
      But Leclerc was handed a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage on Sergio Perez on the final lap, seeing the pair swap places.
      It meant Verstappen was crowned world champion in bizarre circumstances for a second year running after his controversial last lap win over Lewis Hamilton last year.
      He was told he was world champ, to which he replied: “What can I say? incredible! Very special to do it here. In front of the Honda people and the Japanese fans.”

      Verstappen told he was champ
      The moment Verstappen found out he was crowned champion was underwhelming.
      The 2021 champ, who pipped Lewis Hamilton in controversial scenes last year, was initially told he had secured the successful title defence during the middle of his race win interview in the paddock, leaving him stunned and clearly surprised when the graphic appeared behind him.
      Verstappen took in the congratulations and finished off the very brief interview before running over to jump in celebration with his girlfriend Kelly Piquet and the Red Bull crew members.
      However, even then the dominant driver was still not 100 per cent sure he was actually the world champion as fans at home had no idea whether it was done or not.

      So it was not until the Dutchman was in the post-race drivers’ room with Leclerc and Perez that it was absolutely confirmed for him.
      Verstappen can be seen asking: “I am? Are you sure?” before getting the green light.
      A chaotic crowning moment at the Japanese Grand Prix
      Max Verstappen had no idea he was crowned world champion – after a chaotic Japanese Grand Prix.
      And his confusion was clear to see in the bizarre moment he discovered the news.
      The Red Bull driver breezed to an easy victory at Suzuka after a red flag initially stopped the race.
      He crossed the line well clear of title rivals Charles Leclerc and Sergio Perez.
      But Ferrari driver Leclerc was penalised with a five-second penalty for gaining an advantage by going off the track on the final lap of the race.
      And that bumped Leclerc down to third.
      But uncertainty over the points for the race, which only had 28 laps completed, meant it took a few minutes to work out for sure.
      In the end, full points were awarded because the race was resumed and ensured Verstappen finished the day 113 points clear of Perez with 112 points left up for grabs this season.
      Verstappen celebrates
      The Dutchman celebrates winning the Japanese Grand Prix and ultimately, winning the drivers championship for the second time in a row.
      Credit: Getty
      Verstappen on winning the title
      “It’s crazy, very mixed emotions. Winning the championship, what a year we’ve had. It’s incredible!
      “I’m so thankful to everyone who’s been contributing to the success, the whole team has been working flat out. Beside that, the work we did with Honda every year, constantly improving, gets very emotional especially here. I’m very proud we could do it here.
      “The first is more emotional but the second is more beautiful. We’re leading the constructors so we want to focus on that, to secure that.Max Verstappen
      MAX VERSTAPPEN IS CHAMPION OF THE WORLD!
      Leclerc drops to P3
      A penalty for Leclerc sees Perez pushed up to second, which means…
      Race control note Leclerc incident
      Leclerc left the track in the final lap when holding off Perez, and the incident has been noted by race control.
      Leclerc holds off Perez!
      Wow, what drama between these two!
      It wasn’t tidy in the final few corners and he may actually be docked a position for that.
      Verstappen wins the Japanese GP!
      Final lap – Perez close to overtaking Leclerc
      The two just about avoid contact!
      Final lap of the race!
      3 mins to go – Alonso flying
      Just four seconds behind Russell now, with those new tyres working a treat.
      7 mins to go – Perez catching Leclerc
      It’s worrying for the Ferrari in 2nd, with Perez now firmly on his tail and pushing for a Red Bull 1-2.
      8 mins to go – Alonso pits
      Alonso pits and exits in 10th, what can he do in the final few minutes here?
      10 mins to go – Will anyone else pit?
      Zhou has set the fastest lap of the race after pitting, will that convince anyone higher up to take the risk?
      13 mins to go – Hamilton can’t overtake Ocon
      The pair almost touch down the pit straight, but Ocon remains ahead of the seven-time champion.
      15 mins to go – Alonso pushing Vettel
      Two legends of the sport fighting for 6th at the moment, with the German winning the battle up to now.
      17 mins to go – Ocon still holding of Hamilton
      A fascinating battle for 4th this, with Ocon still ahead at the moment.
      20 mins to go – Leclerc considering stop
      Falling way behind Verstappen, Leclerc is considering another pit stop.
      22 mins to go – Hamilton pressuring Ocon
      The Mercedes is looking for a way to get round Ocon, although the straight line speed advantage is helping the Alpine.
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      ‘Wtf. How’s this happened!?’ – Gasly narrowly avoids crashing into TRACTOR with fury over chaotic F1 race in Japan

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      THE FATHER of the late Jules Bianchi and Formula One drivers have hit out after Pierre Gasly narrowly avoided a serious crash with a tractor on track at the Japanese Grand Prix.In torrential rain with very limited visibility, the red flag was waved after Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon crashed out on the first lap.
      Gasly narrowly avoided a tractor collecting Sainz’s carCredit: F1
      Gasly and Co have fumed at the near-missCredit: Getty
      Drivers were forced back to the pits due to the rainCredit: AFP
      The Japan GP became a timed race as a result of conditionsCredit: AFP
      Drivers made their way back to the pits but Gasly, who was at the back of the grid, had a near-miss with a tractor that had emerged out on track to collect Sainz’s Ferrari.
      Live speed data showed Gasly doing 200km/h as he approached the tractor, with dash-cam footage from Sainz’s car showing a quick-thinking marshal rushing out of the way and dragging the vehicle across when he sees the Frenchman approaching.
      Gasly’s close call evoked memories of the 2014 instalment of the F1 Japanese GP when Bianchi suffered a horrific crash.
      Bianchi went off track under double-waved yellow flags before running under a crane vehicle that was taking another car from the track.

      READ MORE ON F1
      The Frenchman was left with severe brain damage and didn’t regain consciousness, sadly passing in 2015.
      His father, Bianchi Snr, hit out on Instagram saying there was “no respect for the life” of Gasly.
      He said: “No respect for the life of the driver no respect for Jules memory incredible.”
      Gasly fumed, saying he could’ve “killed himself”.
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      McLaren’s Lando Norris labelled the incident “unacceptable”.
      He tweeted: “Wtf. How’s this happened!? We lost a life in this situation years ago.
      “We risk our lives, especially in conditions like this. We wanna race. But this… Unacceptable.”
      Red Bull driver Sergio Perez was also quick to reference Bianchi.
      He said: “How can we make it clear that we never want to see a crane on track?
      “We lost Jules because of that mistake. What happened today is totally unacceptable!!!!!
      “I hope this is the last time ever I see a crane on track!”
      After a lengthy delay, the conditions improved and Max Verstappen went on to win the race – and his second world title.
      Conditions were tough behind the frontrunnersCredit: Reuters
      Racing resumed after a rolling startCredit: Reuters More

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      Michael Schumacher’s nephew in fiery race car crash as F1 legend’s relative is left needing medical attention

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      MICHAEL SCHUMACHER’S nephew David was involved in a scary crash at the Hockenheim DTM event earlier today.As the 20-year-old scrapped with Thomas Preining during lap 6, a collision on turn 8 sent both cars careering off track and towards the barrier.
      Dennis Olsen’s car briefly lit up in flamesCredit: https://www.motorsport.com/dtm/news/hockenheim-dtm-red-flagged-after-scary-crashes/10381619/
      The crash caused an automatic red flagCredit: https://www.motorsport.com/dtm/news/hockenheim-dtm-red-flagged-after-scary-crashes/10381619/
      A collision with the barrier caused Olsen’s issuesCredit: https://www.motorsport.com/dtm/news/hockenheim-dtm-red-flagged-after-scary-crashes/10381619/
      [embedded content]
      Schumacher and Preining’s crash gave Porsche ace Dennis Olsen big problems.
      The Norwegian lost control of his car as he tried to avoid a pile-up – whacking into a barrier.
      Moments later the impact caused his car to briefly spark into flames.
      Thankfully all drivers were left unscathed by the crash, although Schumacher, Preining and Olsen were all taken to the medical centre to get checked.
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      While the drivers were thankfully fine, the same could not be said for their cars – with the crash doing expensive damage.
      The red flag was immediately waved, delaying the race.
      Proceedings eventually got back underway with a lap behind the safety car.
      David Schumacher is son of F1 legend Michael’s brother Ralf, and cousin of Haas star Mick.
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      Seven-time world champion Michael has been out of the public eye since suffering a severe brain injury in December 2013 during a skiing accident in the French Alps.
      He was placed in a medically induced coma until June 2014 and is now back home in Switzerland with his family.
      Since the horrifying incident nearly nine years ago, Michael, 53, has lived an extremely private life – with very few updates on his health.
      Mick’s F1 future, meanwhile, is up in the air – with Haas yet to renew his contract beyond the end of this year.
      Should Haas decide to go in a different direction, Mick could be offered an F1 lifeline by Williams – who are not renewing Nicholas Latifi’s contract.
      Asked about speculation, Williams team principal Jost Capito said: “Mick deserves to stay in F1. We’ll see if that happens, but he’s definitely an option for us.”
      Olsen and Preining hug after the incidentCredit: https://www.motorsport.com/dtm/news/hockenheim-dtm-red-flagged-after-scary-crashes/10381619/ More

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      Max Verstappen accuses Lando Norris of showing him ‘lack of respect’ as he is reprimanded in Japanese GP qualifying

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      MAX VERSTAPPEN accused Lando Norris of showing him a lack of “respect” as the two had a narrow escape in qualifying for the Japanese GP.The flashpoint happened when Verstappen slowed down on the racing line before lighting up his tyres with a wheelspin.
      Max Verstappen celebrates pole position ahead of Ferrari duo Charles Leclerc and Carlos SainzCredit: Splash
      Verstappen, who has never won in Japan looked chuffed after achieving pole positionCredit: AFP
      But Norris, who was already up to speed, was forced to take evasive action, running wide and onto the grass.
      It earned Verstappen no more than a ticking off from the stewards yet he was adamant it would never have happened if Norris showed him more courtesy.
      He said: “We were on our out lap and we were all lining up to create a gap to everyone and then somehow he still wanted to get me into the chicane.
      “I was on the point of accelerating and I was on very cold tyres, so I had a little moment and that’s why he had to drive around me.
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      “But if he had just a bit more respect for me, because everyone is anyway lining up and I don’t think anyone is trying to pass into that last chicane, so by trying to pass me you create that kind of thing.”
      On the other hand, Norris felt the Dutchman deliberately tried to block him during his qualifying lap, and the McLaren driver had expected Verstappen to be punished for the dangerous manoeuvre.
      He said: “I mean it was quite clear he tried to do that. There’s no rule on doing what you can do, but doing what he did is something that you cannot do.
      “People always overtake before the last corner as much as everyone all agrees to it everyone always does it.
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      “He probably would have done the same if he was in my situation but wouldn’t have swerved at him if I was in his situation.”
      Asked whether he would expect a penalty if he had been the guilty party, he added: “Oh yeah for sure.”
      Verstappen’s outburst comes as he and his Red Bull team await their fate with the FIA announcing their findings into F1 cost-cap investigation.
      It is widely believed that Red Bull have over-spent and will face a penalty, which will be determined by the FIA.
      And Norris’ boss at McLaren, Zak Brown, says any team who has surpassed the £114million limit should be penalised.
      The Red Bull driver was forced to see the Stewards after the race but escaped with a reprimandCredit: Getty
      Verstappen in discussion with Team Principal Christian HornerCredit: Getty
      He said: “The certificates were supposed to be distributed on Wednesday and they have now been postponed to Monday, which means for some reason they are not ready.
      “You can, based on the speculation, assume a team or two haven’t complied. I don’t know that to be the case.
      “Cost caps are critically important, and we need to make sure it is enforced (and) if someone has breached that, the appropriate penalties, not just financial, but sporting and technical, are put in place.
      “If you bend the rules technically, you get penalties, and financials should be the same.
      “Because if someone has overspent, then that gives them an on-track unfair advantage, and it needs to be dealt with accordingly firmly and quickly.”
      Meanwhile, Pierre Gasly has signed for Alpine and will drive for the team from 2023.
      Formula One 2022Everything you need to know about F1 this season

      He will partner fellow Frenchman Esteban Ocon at the Oxfordshire based team – despite the two being far from mates.
      The two fell out some years ago, despite growing up as friends, and Alpine boss Otmar Szafnauer is hopeful the duo will rekindle their friendship when they become team-mates.
      He said: “We made an informed decision and that means talking to the entire team – including Esteban beforehand – to make sure that if we did make a decision it’s a team sport and we have to be able to work together and optimise.
      “Esteban was very supportive, Pierre as well. They’re professionals and they have no issue working together.
      “Hopefully the friendship will rekindle, they were friends at one point, but from a professional perspective they’re both very happy to work with each other.”
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      His departure has allowed AlphaTauri to sign Dutchman Nyck De Vries from under the noses of Williams, who had earmarked him as a replacement for Nicholas Latifi.
      De Vries, who has been racing in Formula E and won last year’s title, has been handed his first shot in F1 by Red Bull’s B team. More

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      F1 Japanese Grand Prix LIVE: Stream, TV channel as Verstappen takes POLE despite enquiry and closes on championship win

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      FORMULA ONE action returns at top speed with the racers battling it out at the Japanese Grand Prix.Max Verstappen surrendered the opportunity to clinch a second successive championship win in Singapore last weekend.
      However, the Red Bull driver will get a second bite of the cherry on the Suzuka Circuit.
      He has taken pole position despite a stewards’ enquiry after coming close to hitting Lando Norris, but Verstappen remains in pole position despite the enquiry.

      Qualifying: 7am UK
      Race: Sunday, October 9 – 6am UK
      Live stream: Now TV
      TV channel: Sky Sports F1

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      Latifi explains bizarre moment
      Nicolas Latifi has clarified what happened in the Japanese GP practice session where he seemed to take a wrong turning on the track.
      The Williams driver said down the radio when it happened: “Not sure what happened there. The car, real strange, anyways, I’m OK.”
      He was asked what happened explaining it was his error going the wrong way but said there was a delay on the team radio that made it look like he made a poor excuse.
      “The radio was a bit delayed from what was shown on TV when I was saying it was a bit strange there.
      “It was totally my fault, but I was getting some calls from my engineer.
      “We were supposed to do another lap, but then we got a last-minute call to box, so I was changing something on my steering wheel, I was looking down, and when I looked up, I saw the turn which is obviously not the right turn.”
      Favourites depart
      Next season it looks like Formula One fans will be without Daniel Ricciardo and Sebastian Vettel.
      The German is retiring and the McLaren driver is set to be without a team.
      The pair were teammates at Red Bull in the 2014 season.

      Ricciardo snubbed for 2023
      Daniel Ricciardo has admitted he is unlikely to be on the grid for the 2023 season.
      He said: “I think the reality is now I won’t be on the grid in 2023.”
      The Aussie is a fan’s favourite but his deal at McLaren is set to expire at the end of this year and his contract is not going to be renewed.
      Norris lacked respect, says Verstappen
      Max Verstappen accused Lando Norris of showing him a lack of “respect” as the two had a narrow escape in qualifying for the Japanese GP.
      The flashpoint happened when Verstappen slowed down on the racing line before lighting up his tyres with a wheelspin.
      But Norris, who was already up to speed, was forced to take evasive action, running wide and onto the grass.
      It earned Verstappen no more than a ticking off from the stewards yet he was adamant it would never have happened if Norris showed him more courtesy.
      He said: “We were on our out lap and we were all lining up to create a gap to everyone and then somehow he still wanted to get me into the chicane.

      “I was on the point of accelerating and I was on very cold tyres, so I had a little moment and that’s why he had to drive around me.
      “But if he had just a bit more respect for me, because everyone is anyway lining up and I don’t think anyone is trying to pass into that last chicane, so by trying to pass me you create that kind of thing.”
      Grid confirmation
      After the closest qualifying session of the year, here’s the final grid for tomorrow’s Japanese Grand Prix.

      British hopes at Japan GP
      Lewis Hamilton will lead out the British charge at tomorrow’s Japanese Grand Prix when he starts sixth on the grid.
      His compatriot and fellow Mercedes star George Russell will be close by in eighth in the 18th round of the F1 championship.
      Fellow Brit and McLaren ace Lando Norris will start in tenth after his high-profile near miss in qualifying with Red Bull’s seemingly unstoppable title favourite Max Vertsappen.
      Herbert’s surprise at Stewards’ call
      Sky Sports F1 pundit Johnny Herbert says he was “surprised” by a decision to only reprimand Max Verstappen over a dangerous incident in qualifying with Lando Norris.
      The Stewards’ report concluded tyre pressure caused Verstappen to swerve into the path of Norris and therefore he would not face a grid penalty after claiming pole for the Japanese Grand Prix.
      Herbert told Sky Sports: “I’m surprised there’s not a little bit more given the danger element that could have come into play and it was very close anyway.”
      Tyre pressure caused Norris incident
      The Stewards’ report into the dangerous incident involving Max Verstappen and Lando Norris in Japanese Grad Prix qualifying concluded in was due to a mechincal failure.
      Red Bull star Verstappen turned slightly to his left while at a crawl, causing McLaren’s Norris to have to swerve to avoid him as he raced through from behind him on the track.
      The report said that lack of tyre temperature meant Verstappen temporarily lost control of his car and it ‘snapped’ anti-clockwise.
      Verstappen’ pole survives stewards’ enquiry
      Max Verstappen will keep pole position for tomorrow’s Grand Prix after a decision from The Stewards.
      The Red Bull ace has been reprimanded for an incident involving McLaren’s Lando Norris but has not been given a grid penalty.
      Verstappen takes pole
      Leclerc comes up short on his final lap. He is unable to beat the Dutchman.
      It is Verstappen, Leclerc, Sainz, Perez, Ocon, Hamilton, Alonso, Russell, Vettel and Norris.
      BUT…Verstappen is due in to see the stewards for that near miss with Norris.
      Remember too, he can win the title tomorrow if results go his way.
      Near miss for Norris
      The McLaren man almost gets clattered by Verstappen, who loses control of his Red Bull at slow speed.
      Verstappen takes provisional pole
      The Red Bull man sets the quickest time on his first run.
      Q3 is go
      Here we go, shootout for the top 10. This is looking like a three-way fight for pole. Verstappen – Sainz and Leclerc.
      All eyes on Ferrari
      Can they stop Verstappen from taking pole? They look like the only team capable of taking the fight to Red Bull.

      Tight finish to Q2 – Russell escapes, but only just
      He is in to seventh but Ricciardo is out. The Aussie is joined by Schumacher, Zhou, Bottas and Tsunoda.
      Halfway in to Q2
      Verstappen leads Sainz and Leclerc. In the drop zone are Tsunoda, Schumacher, Zhou, Vettel and Norris.
      It is looking close in the middle between Alonso, Perez and Russell.
      Q2 is go
      We lost Gasly, Latifi, Stroll, Magnussen and Albon in Q1.
      Gasly is furious
      He is out in Q1 and not happy. News coming out this morning that he has now agreed to join Alpine for 2023.
      Hamilton and Russell recover
      They currently sit in P8 and P6 and that should be safe enough. In the drop zone are Albon, Latifi, Vettel, Magnussen and Zhou.
      Hamilton and Russell in trouble?
      The two Mercedes men are languishing in the time sheets. Both are on the slower medium tyres. Will they have enough to get in to Q2?
      Meanwhile, BOTH AlphaTauri drivers have brake problems and are in the pits.
      Qualifying is go in Japan
      And it is fitting that Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda sets the early pace for AlphaTauri.
      But here come the bigger teams. Verstappen is on a flying lap that is looking mighty impressive.
      What Max Verstappen has said
      Max Verstappen will be aware of how close he is from securing a second successive championship.
      But the iconic F1 racer realises that he has a tough task at the Japanese GP with the ever-changing weather conditions.
      Luckily it wasn’t a complete disaster with the weather at least we could get around and do a little bit of stuff. In terms of knowing where you are with pace, in the wet, it’s always a bit tricky.
      We did the basic things (to learn) and not more than that so that’s why I’m looking forward to tomorrow to see how we can be in the dry.
      How Verstappen can win the title 
      Verstappen has one hand on the F1 title and he can incredibly clinch it without finishing first. 
      But it would require him scoring a minimum of eight points more than Leclerc and a minimum of six more than Perez.
      If the Red Bull racer was to finish second, Leclerc would have to rank fifth or higher to keep the title alive.
      Verstappen finishing third with the fastest lap bonus point will mean Leclerc having to chart fifth or higher or Perez needs to finish a minimum of fourth to deny him.
      But a third place finish without the bonus point means sixth place for Leclerc or fourth place for Perez would be enough for the title race to go beyond the weekend.
      Fourth for Verstappen would see Leclerc needing only seventh place and fifth means that Leclerc just needs to avoid falling below eighth on the leaderboards to survive another day.
      Crash but no burn
      Here is the major talking point of the Practice sessions. Thankfully Mick Schumacher escaped the car with no injuries.
      But my guess is that Haas will need to supply him with a new car. 
      Credit: Rex
      Current F1 standings
      Here are the current top ten in the 2022 standings:

      Max Verstappen – 341 points
      Charles Leclerc – 237 points
      Sergio Perez – 235 points
      George Russell – 203 points
      Carlos Sainz – 202 points
      Lewis Hamilton – 170 points
      Lando Norris – 100 points
      Esteban Ocon – 66 points
      Fernando Alonso – 59 points
      Valterri Bottas – 46 points

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      F1 Japanese Grand Prix LIVE: Stream, TV channel as Verstappen closes in on championship win – Qualifying updates

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      FORMULA ONE action returns at top speed with the racers battling it out at the Japanese Grand Prix.Max Verstappen surrendered the opportunity to clinch a second successive championship win in Singapore last weekend.
      However, the Red Bull driver will get a second bite of the cherry on the Suzuka Circuit.

      Qualifying: 7am UK
      Race: Sunday, October 9 – 6am UK
      Live stream: Now TV
      TV channel: Sky Sports F1

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      Follow ALL the action with our live blog below…
      What Max Verstappen has said
      Max Verstappen will be aware of how close he is from securing a second successive championship.
      But the iconic F1 racer realises that he has a tough task at the Japanese GP with the ever-changing weather conditions.
      Luckily it wasn’t a complete disaster with the weather at least we could get around and do a little bit of stuff. In terms of knowing where you are with pace, in the wet, it’s always a bit tricky.
      We did the basic things (to learn) and not more than that so that’s why I’m looking forward to tomorrow to see how we can be in the dry.
      How Verstappen can win the title 
      Verstappen has one hand on the F1 title and he can incredibly clinch it without finishing first. 
      But it would require him scoring a minimum of eight points more than Leclerc and a minimum of six more than Perez.
      If the Red Bull racer was to finish second, Leclerc would have to rank fifth or higher to keep the title alive.
      Verstappen finishing third with the fastest lap bonus point will mean Leclerc having to chart fifth or higher or Perez needs to finish a minimum of fourth to deny him.
      But a third place finish without the bonus point means sixth place for Leclerc or fourth place for Perez would be enough for the title race to go beyond the weekend.
      Fourth for Verstappen would see Leclerc needing only seventh place and fifth means that Leclerc just needs to avoid falling below eighth on the leaderboards to survive another day.
      Crash but no burn
      Here is the major talking point of the Practice sessions. Thankfully Mick Schumacher escaped the car with no injuries.
      But my guess is that Haas will need to supply him with a new car. 
      Credit: Rex
      Current F1 standings
      Here are the current top ten in the 2022 standings:

      Max Verstappen – 341 points
      Charles Leclerc – 237 points
      Sergio Perez – 235 points
      George Russell – 203 points
      Carlos Sainz – 202 points
      Lewis Hamilton – 170 points
      Lando Norris – 100 points
      Esteban Ocon – 66 points
      Fernando Alonso – 59 points
      Valterri Bottas – 46 points

      Welcome to the Japanese Grand Prix 
      Congratulations if you managed to drag yourself out of bed to tune in for this very early coverage of the Japanese GP Practice & Qualffying. We will make it worth it.
      The rain in yesterday’s Practice sessions added to the ever-present drama in Formula 1. 
      We had Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton seal a one-two in Practice Two.
      Mick Schumacher CRASHED out of Practice and completely damaged his Haas car
      And we even witnessed Michael Latiffi take a wrong turn during the second session, meeting with a dead end due to his visibility on the track.
      But the Canadian cannot afford to do something like that again as today is the last chance for all the racers to get a good spot in Sunday’s race which, judging today’s weather, could be very difficult to overtake.
      Keep up to date with our live blog as we will have ALL the latest gossip from Qualifying right through until the big race in Suzuka.
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      Model Sara Pagliaroli plays with her hair as she wows in sexy pink bikini

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      MODEL Sara Pagliaroli plays with her hair and shows it’s no time to dye.The girlfriend of Formula 1 driver Lance Stroll posed in the pink two-piece for Wikini & Woxer.
      Sara Pagliaroli posed and played with her hair while wearing a pink bikiniCredit: Wikini & Woxer
      Italian Sara, 27, and Canadian driver Lance, 23, started dating last year.
      They went public at the premiere of James Bond’s No Time To Die, and have been inseparable since.
      At 18, Lance became the second-youngest F1 driver with a podium finish.
      He will line up on the grid tomorrow at the Japanese Grand Prix.
      READ MORE SARA PAGLIAROLI
      Italian Sara has been inseparable from Lance Stroll since they began datingCredit: Instagram
      Lance went public with Sara at the James Bond premiere last yearCredit: Getty More

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      Hilarious moment F1 star Nicholas Latifi takes a WRONG TURN at rainy Japanese GP leaving his Williams at dead end

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      NICHOLAS LATIFI’S shocking season went from bad to worse when he took a WRONG TURN during a rainy FP2 at the Japanese Grand Prix.The Williams driver is yet to score a single point yet this season.
      Nicholas Latifi took a wrong turn during FP2 of the Japanese GPCredit: sky sports
      The Williams driver went down a dead endCredit: sky sports
      Latifi responded to the mishap by saying his car felt “strange”Credit: EPA

      Williams also confirmed last month that the Canadian driver, 27, will be leaving the team when his contract expires at the end of the campaign.
      But with five races left on the calendar, there is still time for Latifi to go out with a bang.
      Although it looks unlikely that he will be able to do anything special at the Suzuka Circuit in Japan after he had problems remembering the layout of the track.
      During FP2 Latifi hilariously swerved right way before the final chicane and ended up down a dead end.
      Read More In F1
      He was forced to do a U-turn when faced by the barriers after seemingly getting confused by the track layout.
      Latifi blamed the car for the mishap, saying over the radio: “The car feels strange.”
      But F1 fans weren’t buying it.
      One joked on social media: “Love how he say ‘car felt strange’ styled that one out.”
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      Another wrote with laughing emojis: “Tried to blame car as well.”
      In Latifi’s defence, torrential rain made for awful conditions in Japan with visibility almost impossible for the drivers.
      And it wasn’t just him who struggled.
      Mick Schumacher lost control and wrecked his car after spinning out at turn seven due to the soggy surface.
      Mick Schumacher spun out and hit the well due to the wet conditionsCredit: Reuters More