Dispensa dopo il terremoto poco prima del GP del Giappone

08:35 Uhr

All clear after earthquake in Taiwan

A strong earthquake has shaken Taiwan a few hours ago. An earthquake with a magnitude of 7.4 – the strongest in 25 years – was measured and has destroyed parts of the Southeast Asian island. This also briefly affected the Formula 1 race.

Minor tsunamis reached the southern Japanese tourist paradise of Okinawa, located between Taiwan and the Japanese main islands. Tsunami warnings were issued up to the Japanese southern coast, where Suzuka is also located.

However, these have since been lifted. The warning has been reduced for Okinawa and completely lifted for all other parts of Japan. Therefore, no impact on the Suzuka weekend is expected.

09:23 Uhr

Schedule of press conferences

The first press conferences will take place tomorrow on Thursday. The lineup for the drivers at 5:30 a.m. CEST is as follows:
Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
George Russell (Mercedes)
Yuki Tsunoda (Racing Bulls)
Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Alexander Albon (Williams)

At the team boss press conference on Friday at 6:30 a.m. CEST, the following four representatives will be present:
Bruno Famin (Alpine)
Ayao Komatsu (Haas)
Toto Wolff (Mercedes)
James Vowles (Williams)

As usual, the top three drivers will sit on the couch on Saturday and Sunday.

08:52 Uhr

What the earlier Suzuka date means for the teams

Suzuka in April is very unusual, as the race usually took place in the fall, but has essentially been swapped with Baku. However, this is good for the teams as they can compare their progress since the last Japan Grand Prix and do not have to wait a year for it.

There is also the first back-to-back comparison with Pirelli’s latest tire construction introduced in 2023 in Silverstone. Until now, they have only been on circuits where the old construction was used last year. This also offers a better comparison.

Speaking of Pirelli: In Suzuka, they are bringing the three hardest compounds C1, C2, and C3, as in the season opener in Bahrain.

08:25 Uhr

Japan as a real litmus test

Unusual but true: We are already in Suzuka this weekend, which usually only happened in the fall. Now, however, we are at the fourth Grand Prix weekend on a track that really tests the car. This is also good for the teams because they will know exactly where they stand.

“As the calendar looks this year, I think that after four races we will have a pretty good idea of where we stand,” says Ferrari engineer Jock Clear.

“Japan is a damn good track to test a car. On this type of track, you will find out a lot.”

Mercedes technical chief James Allison agrees: “It is a track with many fast corners and some slow hairpin turns, so a real test for the car.”

08:19 Uhr

Konnichiwa!

Good morning! Greetings for our Wednesday edition of the Formula 1 ticker. We are on the verge of the next Formula 1 race, which will bring its first elements tomorrow with the media Thursday. Suzuka is on the agenda, one of the true classics on the calendar.

Today, Norman Fischer will guide you through the day, welcoming you warmly here. For questions, suggestions, or complaints, you can use our contact form. You can also find us on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and for questions, our #FragMST hashtag is also available. Let’s go!

Here is yesterday’s Tuesday ticker for you to reread.