2014 Japanese Grand Prix

Championship standings

Hamilton leads the Drivers’ Championship with 241 points, three ahead of Rosberg in second. Ricciardo holds third with 181 points. Alonso is fourth with 133, Vettel fifth with 124. Mercedes lead the Constructors’ by 174 points over Red Bull; a further outscore of 41 points over the Austrian team at this race would clinch the Constructors’ title for Mercedes.

Previous race

Hamilton won in Singapore for his seventh victory of the season and 29th of his career, retaking the championship lead for the first time since Germany. Vettel finished second — his best result of 2014 — and Ricciardo third. Rosberg retired after 14 laps with a wiring loom fault that left him with a faulty steering wheel controller, starting the race from the pit lane after the problem persisted on the formation lap and was unresolvable.

Between-race developments

The FIA has extended its pit-to-car radio ban for this race to include information about tyre and brake wear, as announced after Singapore. Teams have been told coded messages via radio or pit board are also prohibited.

Entrants

Red Bull have selected 17-year-old Formula Three driver Max Verstappen to replace Vergne in FP1 as part of his preparation for a full-time seat at Toro Rosso in 2015. At 17 years and three days, Verstappen is the youngest person ever to take part in a Formula One race weekend. Caterham have confirmed Roberto Merhi replaces Marcus Ericsson, with Kobayashi racing.

Weather

Typhoon Phanfone, classified as a category-four storm, is forecast to make landfall over the eastern Japanese coast on race day. Although the storm’s path is expected to miss Suzuka, heavy rain from its northern edge is anticipated at the circuit. The possibility of moving the race start time earlier was raised but rejected by the venue’s owners, Honda, to allow spectators to arrive in time.

Tyre choices

Pirelli brings the white-banded medium and the orange-banded hard dry compounds, plus intermediate and full wet tyres.

Practice

Rosberg led FP1 at 1:35.461, ahead of Hamilton and Alonso. Verstappen’s run ended early when smoke billowed from his engine due to a broken exhaust valve; Merhi spun at turn 13, causing Bottas to take evasive action.

Hamilton set the day’s fastest time in FP2 at 1:35.078. Ricciardo disrupted the session for eight minutes when oversteer sent him into the barrier at turn 18. Kobayashi lost control at turn three, damaging his rear suspension and front wing. Vergne stopped twice — first with a fuel pump problem at the Spoon Curve, then with an electrical issue after turn 14, the second incident bringing out a red flag that ended the session early. Gutiérrez crashed his Sauber at the Spoon Curve.

Rosberg led FP3 at 1:33.228. Hamilton ran wide into the first corner and struck a tyre barrier, damaging the left front of his car. Gutiérrez lost rear control at the exit of turn 15 but avoided contact.