F1 Japanese Grand Prix – Start time, starting grid, how to watch, & more

The Red Bull driver bounced back from a disappointing Singapore showing by topping every practice and grabbing pole position at Suzuka, taking top spot in qualifying by a dominant 0.581s. 

Verstappen also took aim at Red Bull’s detractors after qualifying, telling them to go “suck on an egg” as he defended his team from recent speculation. 

McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were Verstappen’s nearest challengers, with the Australian taking his best qualifying result of his rookie season in second ahead of his team-mate. 

But both McLaren drivers already expect a tall order to battle Verstappen for Japanese GP victory, as Norris quipped it needs Piastri to emulate the Ayrton Senna vs Alain Prost from 1990 at Suzuka to stand a chance. 

Behind the front three, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc beat Sergio Perez to the second row, with Italy and Singapore polesitter Carlos Sainz in sixth ahead of the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. 

Home favourite Yuki Tsunoda took an impressive ninth for AlphaTauri in qualifying, as Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso rounded out the top 10. 

When is the F1 Japanese Grand Prix? 

• Date: Sunday 24 September 2023 
• Start time: 6:00am BST, 2:00pm local time 

The 16th round of the 2023 F1 season, the Japanese GP at the Suzuka circuit, gets under way at 2:00pm local time (6:00am BST) on Sunday 24 September. 

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, celebrates after Qualifying (Photo by: Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images)

How can I watch Formula 1? 

In the United Kingdom, Formula 1 is broadcast live on Sky Sports, with highlights shown on Channel 4 several hours after the race has finished. Live streaming through NOW is also available in the UK. 

Sky Sports F1, which broadcasts the F1 races, can be added as part of the Sky Sports channels which costs £24 a month for new customers. Sky Sports can also be accessed through NOW with a one-off day payment of £11.98p or a month membership of £34.99p per month. 

How can I watch the F1 Japanese GP? 

In the United Kingdom, Sky Sports will be live broadcasting the Japanese GP.  

The race will be shown live on Sky Sports F1, with pre-race coverage starting at 4:30am BST on Sky Sports F1 and on Sky Sports Main Event, ahead of the race start at 6:00am BST. 

• Channels: Sky Sports F1 and Sky Sports Main Event 
• Start time: 4:30am BST, Sunday 24 September 2023 

Autosport will be running a live text coverage of the Japanese GP here. 

When can I watch the F1 Japanese GP highlights? 

In the United Kingdom, Channel 4 is broadcasting highlights of the Japanese GP at 12:30pm BST on Sunday. The full programme will run for two and a half hours, covering the pre-race, the race highlights and the initial post-race reaction to wrap up the major talking points of the race weekend. 

For the entire 2023 F1 season, Channel 4 will broadcast highlights of every qualifying and race of each event. The highlights will also be available on Channel 4’s on-demand catch-up services. 

• Channel: Channel 4  
• Start time: 12:30pm BST, Sunday 24 September 2023 

Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes F1 W14 (Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images)

Will the F1 Japanese GP be on the radio?  

Live radio coverage of every practice, qualifying and race for the 2023 F1 season will be available on the BBC Radio 5 Live, 5 Live Sports Extra stations, the BBC Sounds app and via the BBC Sport website. 

Live coverage of the Japanese GP will start at 6:00am BST on BBC Radio 5 Live and on the BBC Sounds app. 

Weather forecast for the F1 Japanese GP 

Current weather forecasts predict hot and sunny conditions at Suzuka, with low winds and a low chance of rain. The temperature is expected to be 28 degrees Celsius for the start of the race. 

How many laps is the F1 Japanese GP? 

The race is scheduled to complete 53 laps of the Suzuka circuit, covering a total race distance of 307.471km. 

F1 Japanese GP starting grid 

Main Information Additional Data Driver Info

     

Driver Info			Main Information Additional Data
Cla	Driver	#		Chassis	Engine	Time	km/h
1	M. Verstappen Red Bull Racing	1		Red Bull	Red Bull	1'28.877	235.214
2	O. Piastri McLaren	81		McLaren	Mercedes	+0.581	233.687
3	L. Norris McLaren	4		McLaren	Mercedes	+0.616	233.595
4	C. Leclerc Ferrari	16		Ferrari	Ferrari	+0.665	233.468
5	S. Perez Red Bull Racing	11		Red Bull	Red Bull	+0.773	233.186
6	C. Sainz Ferrari	55		Ferrari	Ferrari	+0.973	232.667
7	L. Hamilton Mercedes	44		Mercedes	Mercedes	+1.031	232.517
8	G. Russell Mercedes	63		Mercedes	Mercedes	+1.342	231.716
9	Y. Tsunoda AlphaTauri	22		AlphaTauri	Red Bull	+1.426	231.500
10	F. Alonso Aston Martin Racing	14		Aston Martin	Mercedes	+1.683	230.843
11	L. Lawson AlphaTauri	40		AlphaTauri	Red Bull	+1.631	230.976
12	P. Gasly Alpine	10		Alpine	Renault	+1.632	230.973
13	A. Albon Williams	23		Williams	Mercedes	+1.660	230.902
14	E. Ocon Alpine	31		Alpine	Renault	+1.709	230.777
15	K. Magnussen Haas F1 Team	20		Haas	Ferrari	+1.788	230.576
16	V. Bottas Alfa Romeo	77		Alfa Romeo	Ferrari	+2.172	229.603
17	L. Stroll Aston Martin Racing	18		Aston Martin	Mercedes	+2.304	229.271
18	N. Hulkenberg Haas F1 Team	27		Haas	Ferrari	+2.422	228.975
19	Z. Guanyu Alfa Romeo	24		Alfa Romeo	Ferrari	+2.521	228.727
20	L. Sargeant Williams	2		Williams	Mercedes
View full results