To paraphrase the singer Moby, “it fell apart” for Red Bull. Having won all the races this season, including ten in a row for Max Verstappen, the team couldn’t to grips with the Singapore asphalt with what was easily their worst race of the season.
And it meant that we had our first non-Red Bull winner, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz winning his second race, and confounding our pre-race expectations (we didn’t even think Ferrari was in contention for a win).
That win has delayed the Red Bull coronation but it could be back on track in Japan with the Suzuka Grand Prix, which is being held a couple of weeks earlier than usual. Hopefully we’ll get less of the inclement weather that’s affected the last few races held in Japan.
On a more traditional racing circuit it’s expected that Red Bull will be stronger, but if they aren’t then the likes of Ferrari, McLaren, Mercedes and Aston Martin will be hungry to pick up the pieces. In fact, the race for second place in the championship is the action to watch this weekend as the momentum swings from one team to another.
Drivers in need of a good race include home grown driver Yuki Tsunoda, who despite having his strongest season to date, is under pressure from the excellent form of Liam Lawson. Odds are that he’ll stay, but he’ll need a good performance at Suzuka to cement his position. Hopefully he can actually finish the first lap after his recent woes.
Logan Sargeant will also need a good performance. Time isn’t necessarily running out, but mistakes are proving costly for the rookie driver who hasn’t made much of an impact this season (except with the walls on frequent occasions).
Who’s going to triumph at Suzuka? You’re going to have to wake up early to see the action. Here’s how to watch the Japanese Grand Prix live on TV and online.
What is the UK time for the F1 Japanese Grand Prix?
The Japanese Grand Prix will be shown live on Sky Sports F1, and in 4K HDR. The race starts at 6am UK time on Sunday September 24th.
Here’s what the schedule looks like for the entire weekend:
Friday 15th September
- 3.30am – Practice 1
- 7am – Practice 2
Saturday 16th September
- 3.30am – Practice 3
- 7am – Japanese Grand Prix qualifying
Sunday 17th September
- 6am – Japanese Grand Prix race
How to watch the Japanese F1 Grand Prix 2023
If you’re a Sky subscriber, you can catch the action on Sky Sports F1 Ultra HD. You can also check out the action on Sky Sports F1 (channel 406) and Sky Sports Main Event (Channel 401). For Virgin Customers it’s channel 506 and 501 respectively.
Sky Sports F1 Ultra HD, is available on Sky Glass, Sky Stream and Sky Q with Sky Sports F1, or Sky Sports Complete with the Ultra HD pack, and that comes with Dolby Atmos audio (if your audio equipment is compatible). You can also watch the action unfold on the Sky Go mobile app at no additional charge.
You can also pick up a NOW Sports Pass, which costs £11.98 (for a Day Pass), £34.99 (for a Monthly Pass). The Monthly Pass is the best value as it’ll cover other races within the month.
Watch F1 on Sky with this UHD subscription
Looking to catch the F1 action in 4K HDR? You’ll need a subscription to Sky to see it
What time are the Japanese Grand Prix highlights?
Channel 4 has the rights to highlights package in the UK for those who don’t have access to Sky Sports.
Qualifying highlights are on Saturday September 23rd and starts at 11.10am. Race highlights are the next day at 12.30pm. If you miss those shows, and given they are on earlier in the day you might well do, you can watch the action on the Channel 4 app.
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