Fernando Alonso tops wet opening practice of Japanese Grand Prix

Fernando Alonso set the fastest time during the opening practice for the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix was hampered by rain.

Alpine’s Fernando Alonso finished first in Suzuka’s first practice session, leading fellow Spaniard and Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz in a session where lap times were mostly insignificant.

The hour-long session was the first Formula 1 track activity at Suzuka since 2019 after the 2020 and 2021 rounds were postponed owing to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eastern Japan experienced heavy rain throughout the morning, but it stopped just in time for the session to begin. Drivers eventually run on the full Wet tyres.

Mick Schumacher recorded the first timed lap, and Leclerc opined that with the emergence of a few dry lines all over the course, the intermediate tyre was now the best choice.

Sainz and Leclerc had taken the lead at the beginning thirty minutes in, but Esteban Ocon and Verstappen soon broke their best times, setting a new benchmark for the Ferrari drivers. With the exception of Aston Martin’s Sebastian Vettel and the two Mercedes drivers, everyone had set a timed lap at that moment.

Alonso and the Ferrari drivers moved to the top by effectively utilizing the inters, but when the rain started to fall again, the wash once more became prominent.

Around the halfway mark of the practice, drivers were able to switch to the Intermediate rubber, and as track conditions steadily improved, the benchmark times began to fall.

Before the rain became more intense with 15 minutes left in the session and prevented drivers from improving their speeds, Alonso had managed to finish first with a time of 1:42.248s as Ferrari duo Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc came in second and third respectively.

Alonso’s teammate Esteban Ocon finished in fourth place, followed by Kevin Magnussen with reigning world champion Max Verstappen finishing sixth dividing the Haas duo as Mick Schumacher ranked seventh. After doing his practice start, Schumacher had an unusual way of ending the session as he crashed into Dunlop.

Lando Norris, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez completed the rest of the top-10 order for McLaren, Alfa Romeo and Red Bull respectively.

Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton and fellow Mercedes teammate George Russell both finished in 13th and 18th place respectively. Local hero Yuki Tsunoda finished 19th for AlphaTauri, with Sebastian Vettel, a four-time winner of the Japanese Grand Prix, being the slowest of all in his Aston Martin.

2022 F1 JAPANESE GRAND PRIX FREE PRACTICE 1 RESULTS