2015 Japanese Grand Prix

Championship standings

Hamilton leads with 252 points, 41 ahead of Rosberg. Vettel is a further eight points behind Rosberg in third.

Previous race

Vettel won in Singapore from pole position — Ferrari’s first pole since the 2012 German Grand Prix and the end of a 23-race run of poles for Mercedes. Hamilton retired from the race, his first DNF of the season, and Rosberg finished fourth. Vettel’s win closed the gap between him and Rosberg in the standings to just eight points.

Between-race developments

Nico Hülkenberg serves a three-place grid penalty at Suzuka for causing the collision with Massa during the Singapore race.

The Lotus team’s equipment arrives late in Suzuka; team members are also prevented from entering their hospitality unit after cash-flow problems mean the unit has not been paid for.

Red Bull equip both cars with new turning vanes — previously run only by Kvyat in Singapore — to improve airflow under the car and create more downforce. Mercedes introduce a revised rear wing endplate. McLaren bring a new front wing.

Track changes

This is the first Japanese Grand Prix since Jules Bianchi’s accident at the 2014 edition. The Dunlop corner has been revised with updated safety standards, and a large crane has been installed at the point where the recovery tractor was positioned. Manor Marussia announce they will mark the occasion “in a very private way.”

Tyres

Pirelli supplies the hard compound as the prime tyre and the medium compound as the option, the same selection as the previous two years. The high lateral loads at Suzuka — particularly through 130R, typically taken flat-out — are cited as the reason for the hardest compounds. Pirelli expect a performance difference of 0.6–0.8 seconds per lap between the two compounds.

Practice

The first session is held in rainy conditions, with Sainz setting the fastest time. Many drivers choose not to set times, reporting aquaplaning concerns. The first laps are completed on full wet tyres before teams switch to intermediates. Jolyon Palmer replaces Grosjean at Lotus but does not set a timed lap.

The track is damp at the start of the second session and all drivers begin on intermediates. Kvyat sets the fastest time, just 0.023 seconds ahead of Rosberg, with Hamilton third. Vettel sets the most timed laps of the session at nineteen. Alonso is delayed forty minutes by a power unit issue.

The third session is dry. Rosberg leads Hamilton by three-tenths of a second, with Ricciardo third. Kvyat has a difficult session, going wide at both Spoon and Degner corners to end up eleventh. The Williams cars lead the two Ferraris behind Ricciardo.