Japanese F1 Grand Prix 2014: Start Time, Lineup, TV Schedule and More
The Formula One circus will move to the legendary Suzuka circuit for the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, and with the race for the world championship as tight as ever and conditions expected to be harsh at best, fans will be in for a wild weekend.
Just three points separate Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg, who will once again be favourites heading into the race. Momentum lies with the Brit, but if the weather worsens as expected (more on that later), anything can happen.
TV Schedule
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Sky Sports and the BBC will broadcast the entire race weekend in the UK. Here's the schedule:
| Practice One | Friday | 2 a.m. | 1:45 a.m. | 1:50 a.m. (Two) |
| Practice Two | Friday | 6 a.m. | 5:45 a.m. | 5:55 a.m. (Two) |
| Practice Three | Saturday | 3 a.m. | 2:45 a.m. | 2:55 a.m. (Two) |
| Qualifying | Saturday | 6 a.m. | 5 a.m. | 5 a.m. (One) |
| Race | Sunday | 7 a.m. | 5:30 a.m. | 6 a.m. (One) |
For US viewers, NBCSN will provide full coverage of Sunday's race, starting at 1:30 a.m. ET.
Lineup
| Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | Kimi Raikkonen | Ferrari |
| Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | Romain Grosjean | Lotus |
| Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull | Jean-Eric Vergne | Toro Rosso |
| Fernando Alonso | Ferrari | Daniil Kvyat | Toro Rosso |
| Sebastian Vettel | Red Bull | Jules Bianchi | Marussia |
| Nico Hulkenberg | Force India | Adrian Sutil | Sauber |
| Valtteri Bottas | Williams | Marcus Ericsson | Caterham |
| Jenson Button | McLaren | Pastor Maldonado | Lotus |
| Felipe Massa | Williams | Esteban Gutierrez | Sauber |
| Kevin Magnussen | McLaren | Max Chilton | Marussia |
| Sergio Perez | Force India | Kamui Kobayashi | Caterham |
Typhoon Phanfone To Steal the Spotlight
The shadow of typhoon Phanfone has been looming over Sunday's race the entire week, and according to the latest updates from weather.com, everything points toward the storm having a large impact on the Japanese Grand Prix.
Phanfone is still growing stronger, and while it likely won't make landfall in time, the Suzuka racetrack is undoubtedly going to feel its effects in the form of heavy rains and lots of wind.
According to Sky Sports, the organisation has stated they will be flexible with race times on Sunday, but with the Russian Grand Prix right around the corner, pushing the race to Monday isn't an option. Sky Sports' Craig Slater detailed the current plans:
"The FIA are monitoring the situation very closely but they still think it’s too early to start talking about contingency plans. But I understand they are looking into the possibility of being flexible, particularly on Sunday itself.
"
Suzuka is a fast track with plenty of corners that usually require the drivers to go full throttle. If the rain hits as hard as people are currently expecting, it will completely alter how teams approach the race. Wet and monsoon tyres aren't in massive supply—the practice sessions may be sacrificed, resulting in a very unpredictable race.
Can Rosberg Stop Hamilton?
The rain will only add to the intrigue, but even under perfect conditions, Sunday's race would have plenty. Hamilton has reclaimed the lead in the standings after back-to-back wins, and the Brit is pushing the very limits of driving.
As reported by Eurosport, the 29-year-old finds himself in hot water after he uploaded a video via Twitter, driving his Pagani Zonda at dangerous speeds on a public road.
The minor controversy will hardly slow him down, however. Hamilton is enjoying his best spell of the season, and via Twitter, he sounds very eager to impress at Suzuka:
"I'm hungry for my first win at Suzuka!! http://t.co/vDca3wqvbR #JapaneseGP #JapanGP #Suzuka #TeamLH #BBCSport
— Lewis Hamilton (@LewisHamilton) October 3, 2014"
Things aren't looking so great for his main rival, teammate Rosberg. In a column for the Daily Mail, the German wrote his DNF in Singapore was "the toughest day of his year:"
"The Singapore Grand Prix was, in terms of racing, the toughest day of the year for me. For our car to break down and then to watch the remainder of the action on the pit wall was a really strange feeling.
"
[...]I am now three points behind Lewis in the championship but I will not approach this weekend's Japanese Grand Prix any differently. The plan is to win and that has always been the case so I will try to do the same thing here.
Another loss to Hamilton would sting, but with an eye on the world championship, Sunday's race likely won't be decisive. Momentum is everything, however. If Rosberg can reclaim the lead, it would instantly halt the fantastic run Hamilton is on. If the Brit wins, he'll have even more confidence as the pack heads for Russia.
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