Alonso leads the first free practice in Japan, followed by Sainz

 The Spanish driver Fernando Alonso (Alpine) achieved today the best time in the first test for the Japanese Grand Prix, followed by the also Spanish Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) and the Monegasque Charles Lecrerc, from the same team. With his best lap of 1:42.248, Alonso was fastest in opening practice on the Suzuka track in Mie (central Japan), wet from heavy rain that fell for much of the morning. Sainz finished in second place with 315 thousandths more, followed by his teammate and current number two in the World Championship, who took 386 thousandths more than Alonso. 

The current outstanding leader of the World Championship, the Dutchman Max Verstappen (Red Bull), finished sixth, while the Mexican Sergio Pérez, from the same team, finished tenth. The wet asphalt caused numerous problems for the drivers and Mick Schumacher (Haas) was one of the worst unemployed, losing control of his car at the exit of a corner and ending up crashing into the barriers, fortunately without the German suffering damage. He also finished in seventh place in this trial. These first practices of the Japanese Grand Prix mark the return of the Formula 1 competition to the Suzuka circuit, where it has not been run since 2019. 

They will be followed by other free practices this Friday, a third session on Saturday and the qualifying test that same day, before the race on Sunday.

'The crooked lines of God' has surprised me where I least expected it