The Briton, who had already gone fastest ahead of Bottas in the morning, lapped the 5.8-kilometer long Suzuka circuit in an even more scorching one minute 28.217 seconds in the afternoon
Lewis Hamilton
Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton set the pace, going comfortably fastest ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas, as Mercedes put on a dominant display on the opening day of practice for the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Briton, who had already gone fastest ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas in the morning, lapped the 5.8-kilometer long Suzuka circuit in an even more scorching one minute 28.217 seconds in the afternoon.
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That was a full 0.833 seconds quicker than title rival Sebastian Vettel who, while improving from from fifth in the morning to third in the second session, had no answer for Hamilton’s speed.
The 33-year-old was in fact in a league of his own.
Even team-mate Bottas, again second in the afternoon, could get no closer than 0.461 seconds of the Briton’s best.
“This track is awesome,” Hamilton whooped over the radio a little over half an hour into the 90-minute session, before he had set what would end up as his fastest lap.
“I’m having the best day!”
Hamilton, winner of five of the last six races, leads Vettel by 50 points in the overall standings and can wrap up the title without needing to win again this season.
The German meanwhile needs a miracle to reignite his fading title hopes and had been hoping the Suzuka circuit would suit his car better than the last two races in Singapore and Russia.
None seemed forthcoming, however, at least on Friday, with Ferrari’s dip in performance having seemingly carried over into this weekend’s race.
Vettel’s afternoon effort, while quicker than his own best attempt in the first 90 minutes, was still slower than Hamilton’s morning benchmark which the Briton had set on the less grippy soft tyres.
Max Verstappen, sixth in the morning, was fourth fastest for Red Bull ahead of Ferrari’s Kimi Raikkonen and team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, who had gone third quickest in the morning.
Esteban Ocon stayed seventh with the Frenchman man once again the best-of-the-rest in his Force India.
Marcus Ericsson was ninth for Sauber ahead of Kiwi Brendon Hartley, who improved from 17th in the morning, to round out the top ten.
Briton Lando Norris, set make his Formula One debut next season with McLaren, stood in for departing Belgian Stoffel Vandoorne in the morning and ended bottom of the timesheets in 20th.
The Belgian, back in the car in the afternoon, could do no better and once again propped up the order.
The sessions, run in overcast but dry conditions, were largely uneventful.
Fernando Alonso had a scare during the first session, the Spaniard losing control of his McLaren and sliding off into the gravel.
Hamilton had a close call himself in the morning, jinking hard to avoid Gasly’s Toro Rosso and taking the escape road at the final chicane after the Frenchman appeared to back off on the racing line.
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