2024 Japanese Grand Prix

The 49th running of the Japanese Grand Prix and the fourth round of the 2024 season, held at the Suzuka International Racing Course across 5–7 April. This edition is the first time the event is held as an early-season round, departing from its traditional schedule between September and November, part of Formula One’s regionalisation efforts placing the Japanese Grand Prix between the Australian and Chinese Grands Prix.

Championship standings

After the Australian Grand Prix, Max Verstappen leads the Drivers’ Championship with 51 points — four points from Charles Leclerc in second and five from his teammate Sergio Pérez in third. Red Bull Racing leads the Constructors’ Championship with 97 points, separated from Ferrari by 4 points and from McLaren by 42.

Previous race

At Melbourne, Carlos Sainz Jr. won the race just two weeks after undergoing an appendectomy that caused him to miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Polesitter Max Verstappen retired on lap four with a brake failure, breaking his streak of nine consecutive wins. Fernando Alonso was given a post-race twenty-second time penalty for “potentially dangerous driving”, dropping him from sixth to eighth.

Entrants

The drivers and teams are the same as the season entry list. Ayumu Iwasa makes his Formula One practice debut for RB, driving in place of Daniel Ricciardo in the first free practice session. The weekend marks the tenth anniversary of the fatal accident of Jules Bianchi; Charles Leclerc wears a full tribute helmet to Bianchi.

Weather

Sunny conditions are expected for race day.

Tyre choices

Pirelli brings the C1, C2, and C3 tyre compounds — the three hardest in their range — designated hard, medium, and soft respectively.

Practice

FP1 is topped by Red Bull driver Max Verstappen ahead of his teammate Sergio Pérez and Carlos Sainz Jr. of Ferrari. The session is red-flagged after Williams’ Logan Sargeant loses control and hits the wall, breaking his front wing. FP2, in damp conditions, is topped by McLaren’s Oscar Piastri ahead of Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes and Charles Leclerc; only five drivers set competitive lap times. FP3 is topped by Verstappen ahead of Pérez and George Russell.