Wet weekend expected for Japanese Grand Prix

This weekend’s Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix looks set to at least begin with wet conditions for Friday’s two practice sessions.

Rain greeted teams as they arrived in Suzuka on Friday morning with forecasts predicting an 80 percent chance of rain for the opening 60-minute session of the weekend, starting at noon local time.

That is set to ease to 60 percent according to the official FIA weather forecast.

“Overcast and rainy all day long,” reads the forecast.

“Rain will be steady and moderate most of the time. Rain amount expected around 18mm between 9am and 6pm. Wet sessions.”

Free Practice 2 is a 90-minute session, the additional running designed to afford Pirelli the opportunity to gather data on its 2023 tyre development.

Conditions on Saturday are set to improve, with cloudy but dry conditions predicted for Free Practice 3 and Qualifying, the latter session to begin at 15:00 local time.

However, the chance of rain increases again on Sunday, with a less than 20 percent chance at the race start increasing to 40 percent as it continues.

The Japanese Grand Prix has often been impacted by the weather.

In 2010, Qualifying was postponed as rain lashed the Suzuka circuit, while in 2019 the weekend was reduced to two days of running because of Typhoon Hagibis.

This year’s event marks Formula 1’s first appearance in Japan since 2019, with Max Verstappen on the precipice of a second world drivers’ championship.

If the Dutchman wins the race and takes the bonus point for fastest lap, he will guarantee himself a second title regardless of what his rivals do.