Japanese Grand Prix – Formula One: Live leaderboard and lap-by-lap updates as Max Verstappen leads for Red Bull early on

Nice one, Hamilton – he’s got past rookie Hadjar into seventh despite being on the hard tyres. They’re looking helpful, that componud, as they’re not overheating as much and he can get out of the chicane snappily.

The problem getting too close at Suzuka is that your tyres can overheat on the S-shaped corners, so there’s a balance to be struck.

Norris will be satisfied that he’s retained his position but it’s concerning that Verstappen is already out of DRS range.

Norris is running about 1.06 seconds behind Verstappen, so just outside DRS range, and for the most part this is a hard track to overtake on.

Antonelli ran off track on the chicane and they’ll look at that to see if he made any gains, though it didn’t look like it.

Verstappen has told Red Bull that his upshifts are ‘really bad,’ but he’s still off to a flyer.

DRS has been enabled. There are still some puddles on the track from the early morning rain. Nobody in the top half has switched position yet, though Bortoleto has dropped three places to last.

Verstappen gets off to a great start and stops any attack from Norris, with Piastri following just behind. Front three all off to a solid start.

No major incidents or clashes.

Rightio, we’re off for the formation lap. Doohan and Stroll are the only chaps starting on soft tyres, right at the back of the grid. Hamilton is the only one in the top half of the grid on the hard compounds.

We’ve got three young guns starting in the top half today – Mercedes’ Antonelli in sixth, Racing Bulls’ Hadjar in seventh, and Haas’ Bearman in 10th.

The neutrals have been praying for rain and although there was a good dousing overnight, it’s looking like it will be a dry race.

If there is any rain at all, it should only be light showers. You’ve got to think that only plays into the hands of the McLaren pair.

No need for anything silly here from Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri. It’s a long, downhill run into turn one but they just need to focus about getting away safely, rather than looking to take on Verstappen.

They need to trust that their superior pace will be enough to get the better of the Dutchman across the course of the race.

It’s not an admission Red Bull have been used to making in recent years, but it’s the right one. McLaren won last season’s Constructors’ Championship and they look good value for another.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner told F1 TV:

‘The McLarens are the dominant car at the moment, so to keep them behind is a hell of a job today. Is it a two or a one stop? That’s the big question.

‘Clean air is always valuable at a track like this. It’s not the easiest track to overtake.’

Max Verstappen starts on pole for Red Bull after pipping Lando Norris in the final moments of qualifying.

His new team-mate, Yuki Tsunoda, starts 14th – behind Liam Lawson, the man he has replaced.

Lewis Hamilton has to settle for eighth, four spots behind his co-Ferrari man Charles Leclerc.

We may be set for rain in the middle of the race, so that throws the cat among the pigeons, or a spanner in the works, if you like – though that’s no certainty.

Hello racing fans! How are we doing?

If you’re looking as enthusiastic as the man posing for the photographers below at this time in the morning, I commend you.

If you’re not, well, I’m sure we’ll get there in what promises to be a fascinating race.