LIGHTS OUT
F1 Japanese Grand Prix LIVE: UK start time, qualifying results, live stream and how to follow – Verstappen claims pole and targets title win in Japan, Hamilton to start sixth
Max Verstappen has set his sights on winning his second world title at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, and will start on pole.
The defending champion missed the chance to become the earliest winner of the Driver’s Championship in 20 years in Singapore after several rare mistakes from both himself and Red Bull.
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First, Verstappen was left screaming ‘what the f***?’ at his crew as under-fuelling meant he could only muster eighth in qualifying.
The Dutchman then made a torrid start to last week's race and a lock-up later while making his way through the field cost him the chance to finish any higher than seventh.
Despite this, Verstappen is still on course to win it all in Suzuka and starts ahead of title rival Charles Leclerc.
But there were calls for the defending champion to be dropped down the grid after an incident with Lando Norris.
Verstappen 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."
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Japanese Grand Prix: Date and UK start time
The race weekend at the Suzuka circuit is scheduled for Friday, October 7 to Sunday, October 9.
In the land of the rising sun, F1 fans in the UK will have to get up early to catch the sport's return to Japan after a two-year absence.
Due to the seven-hour time difference, the first free practice starts at 4am UK time, with second practice at a more reasonable 7am.
7am is also when qualifying will begin on Saturday, but the race itself gets underway an hour earlier at 6am on Sunday.
Japanese Grand Prix: TV channel and live stream
Coverage of the whole race weekend will be on Sky Sports F1 with live build-up to the race beginning at 4:30am.
Sky Sports customers can live stream the race via the Sky Go app using their mobile, tablet or computer devices.
If not a customer, then Channel 4 will broadcast highlights of the race on Sunday evening.
talkSPORT will cover the best of the action of the race weekend in Japan as well.
To tune in to talkSPORT or talkSPORT 2 through the website, click HERE for the live stream. You can also listen via the talkSPORT app, on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.
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Japanese Grand Prix: What has been said?
Lewis Hamilton had an outside chance of a first race win of the season in Singapore after lining up in third.
Yet an early mishap allowed Ferrari's Carlos Sainz to gain the position, with Hamilton then hitting the barriers in his attempts to pass him.
The Mercedes driver was forced to pit to change his front wing and the whole ordeal saw him drop from fourth to ninth.
And qualifying didn't go that well for the Mercedes driver as he could only gain sixth.
"We knew coming to this circuit that we wouldn't be competing for the front row or the win – the Red Bull and Ferrari are in a different league here, and we have some fundamental limitations with our car.
"It feels good to drive and it was a clean session for me, but we are just a long way off in terms of the ultimate pace. We are pushing as hard as we can and it feels strong in the corners, but we are losing on the straights at this circuit.
"For tomorrow, I hope we will be a little bit closer, and maybe the weather will play a role, too. I don't think we can race the cars in front in a straight fight – but I hope we can beat the Alpines and my focus is simply on scoring a better result than we managed last weekend."
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Japanese Grand Prix: Driver standings
Driver / Car / Points
- Max Verstappen / Red Bull / 341
- Charles Leclerc / Ferrari / 237
- Sergio Perez / Red Bull / 235
- George Russell / Mercedes / 203
- Carlos Sainz / Ferrari / 202
- Lewis Hamilton / Mercedes / 170
- Lando Norris / McLaren / 100
- Esteban Ocon / Alpine / 66
- Fernando Alonso / Alpine / 59
- Valterri Bottas / Alfa Romeo / 46
- Daniel Ricciardo / McLaren / 29
- Sebastien Vettel / Aston Martin / 24
- Pierre Gasly / Alpha Tauri / 23
- Kevin Magnussen / Haas / 22
- Lance Stroll / Aston Martin / 13
- Mick Schumacher / Haas / 12
- Yuki Tsunoda / Alpha Tauri / 11
- Guanyu Zhou / Alfa Romeo / 6
- Alex Albon / Williams / 4
- Nyck De Vries / Williams / 2
- Nicolas Latifi / Williams / 0
- Nico Hulkenberg / Aston Martin / 0
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