2010 JAPANESE GP: RED BULL LEADS THE WAY

Sebastian Vettel was fastest driver today at Suzuka. The only man able to head last year's Suzuka winner was his team-mate Webber. Red Bull dominated, leaving its championship rivals over 0.8 seconds off the pace heading into the Japanese Grand Prix weekend.

Fernando Alonso can expect a slightly more competitive weekend, but even he was 0.897 off Vettel's best lap. Ferrari has tended to keep its cards close to its chest during Friday practice this year but a deficit of that size is nearly impossible to overcome in time for qualifying. On the plus side for Alonso, his long run lap times were much closer to Red Bull, so a competitive race is still possible even if qualifying goes Red Bull's way.

Lewis Hamilton seriously damaged his chances of fighting for victory this weekend after an accident in the morning session meant he missed over two hours of practice time. When he finally did hit the track it was with a reasonably heavy fuel load and his times were over two seconds off the pace, meaning he finished the session back in 13th. But Jenson Button's best time was still a second off the pace of Vettel, suggesting that McLaren is set for a very difficult weekend to keep its drivers in touch with the championship leaders.

Robert Kubica could be in a position to take points off some of the championship contenders after he recorded the third fastest time in the Renault. Team-mate Vitaly Petrov also looked impressive with one of his best practice performances of the season. Michael Schumacher looks set for a good weekend after he finished both sessions ahead of Nico Rosberg and in the top ten. When he headed out on a heavy fuel load he ran wide at the second Degner but, unlike Hamilton in first practice, managed to keep his car out of the barriers.

RESULTS OF FIRST FREE PRACTICE

P.  DRIVER                ТEAM                  TIME        GAP  LAPS
1.  Sebastian Vettel    Red Bull-Renault      1m32.585s            23
2.  Mark Webber         Red Bull-Renault      1m32.633s  + 0.048s  23
3.  Robert Kubica       Renault               1m33.129s  + 0.544s  23
4.  Adrian Sutil        Force India-Mercedes  1m33.639s  + 1.054s  13
5.  Lewis Hamilton      McLaren-Mercedes      1m33.643s  + 1.058s  9
6.  Rubens Barrichello  Williams-Cosworth     1m33.677s  + 1.092s  21
7.  Nico Hulkenberg     Williams-Cosworth     1m33.707s  + 1.122s  24
8.  Michael Schumacher  Mercedes              1m33.739s  + 1.154s  20
9.  Nick Heidfeld       Sauber-Ferrari        1m33.791s  + 1.206s  23
10. Nico Rosberg        Mercedes              1m33.831s  + 1.246s  9
11. Felipe Massa        Ferrari               1m33.929s  + 1.344s  25
12. Jenson Button       McLaren-Mercedes      1m34.042s  + 1.457s  19
13. Fernando Alonso     Ferrari               1m34.169s  + 1.584s  23
14. Kamui Kobayashi     Sauber-Ferrari        1m34.271s  + 1.686s  19
15. Vitaly Petrov       Renault               1m34.373s  + 1.788s  24
16. Vitantonio Liuzzi   Force India-Mercedes  1m34.379s  + 1.794s  21
17. Sebastien Buemi     Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1m34.991s  + 2.406s  26
18. Jaime Alguersuari   Toro Rosso-Ferrari    1m35.684s  + 3.099s  22
19. Heikki Kovalainen   Lotus-Cosworth        1m36.949s  + 4.364s  25
20. Timo Glock          Virgin-Cosworth       1m37.329s  + 4.744s  17
21. Jarno Trulli        Lotus-Cosworth        1m37.388s  + 4.803s  23
22. Jerome D'Ambrosio   Virgin-Cosworth       1m37.778s  + 5.193s  23
23. Bruno Senna         Hispania-Cosworth     1m38.814s  + 6.229s  28
24. Sakon Yamamoto      Hispania-Cosworth     1m39.443s  + 6.858s  26

RESULTS OF SECOND FREE PRACTICE

P.  DRIVER           TEAM                   TIME        GAP   LAPS
1.  Vettel         Red Bull-Renault        1:31.465            31
2.  Webber         Red Bull-Renault        1:31.860  + 0.395   29
3.  Kubica         Renault                 1:32.200  + 0.735   32
4.  Alonso         Ferrari                 1:32.362  + 0.897   34
5.  Massa          Ferrari                 1:32.519  + 1.054   35
6.  Button         McLaren-Mercedes        1:32.533  + 1.068   28
7.  Petrov         Renault                 1:32.703  + 1.238   32
8.  Schumacher     Mercedes                1:32.831  + 1.366   27
9.  Sutil          Force India-Mercedes    1:32.842  + 1.377   26
10. Hulkenberg     Williams-Cosworth       1:32.851  + 1.386   26
11. Rosberg        Mercedes                1:32.880  + 1.415   26
12. Kobayashi      Sauber-Ferrari          1:33.471  + 2.006   31
13. Hamilton       McLaren-Mercedes        1:33.481  + 2.016   8
14. Barrichello    Williams-Cosworth       1:33.564  + 2.099   16
15. Heidfeld       Sauber-Ferrari          1:33.697  + 2.232   33
16. Buemi          Toro Rosso-Ferrari      1:34.005  + 2.540   32
17. Alguersuari    Toro Rosso-Ferrari      1:34.055  + 2.590   37
18. Liuzzi         Force India-Mercedes    1:34.310  + 2.845   33
19. Kovalainen     Lotus-Cosworth          1:36.095  + 4.630   37
20. Trulli         Lotus-Cosworth          1:36.333  + 4.868   33
21. di Grassi      Virgin-Cosworth         1:36.630  + 5.165   28
22. Glock          Virgin-Cosworth         1:36.834  + 5.369   28
23. Senna          HRT-Cosworth            1:37.352  + 5.887   33
24. Yamamoto       HRT-Cosworth            1:37.831  + 6.366   34