Live from Japan | Alex Albon

Live from Suzuka

The latest from Japan

Join us all weekend for updates on Alex's third Grand Prix of the 2026 Formula 1 season.

29 March 2026

Japanese GP ✅

29 March 2026

PIT and ALEX and JAMES

PIT: Chequered flag. Thank you, Alex.

ALEX: Yep.

PIT: The information we’ve gathered will be useful long term. Appreciate it.

PIT: Not what we want to be doing, but longer term will be worth it.

JAMES: Alex, thank you for your help. Let’s come to Miami stronger and use every day of the break.

29 March 2026

FINAL LAP 🇯🇵

Alex crosses the line in P20 after taking those extra four pit stops at the end of the race.

29 March 2026

Keep your eyes peeled – we'll drop the *top secret* password during the weekend 👀

29 March 2026

LAP 51/53

Alex switches off the Softs and picks up a set of Mediums on this pit stop.

29 March 2026

LAP 49/53

Alex is repeatedly entering and exiting the pit lane.

This has turned into a test session for Albono now.

29 March 2026

LAP 48/53

Alex stops once again. No tyre change this time.

He gets a change of front wing angle and returns to the circuit.

29 March 2026

LAP 47/53

That pit stop sees Alex drop to P18.

29 March 2026

Box, box 🅿️

Alex takes a pit stop for some Softs as we enter the final 7 laps.

29 March 2026

LAP 43/53

Alex and his race engineer, James Urwin, are in discussions over the radio to see how to best handle Albono’s race pace.

29 March 2026

Alex in Action 📸

29 March 2026

LAP 38/53

Alex is stuck a little in P17 at the moment. SAI and COL are 2.3s ahead and battling for P15.

It’s a 6.5s gap to PER behind.

29 March 2026

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29 March 2026

LAP 34/53

Twenty laps to go and Alex is complaining about the dirty air.

He remains in P17, but is falling behind COL.

29 March 2026

LAP 30/53

Alex has pace, setting his personal best lap so far with the fresh tyres.

PER is a second behind, with COL 0.8s ahead at the moment.

29 March 2026

LAP 28/53

Alex is back under green flag conditions and is chasing down COL for P16.

There is a five-lap difference on the Hards in favour of Alex. Could that help in the remaining 26 laps?

29 March 2026

SAFETY CAR IN THIS LAP 🟡

Alex is getting ready to get going once again.

29 March 2026

ALEX and PIT

ALEX: How's the brake temperature?

PIT: On the cool side.

29 March 2026

LAP 25/53

The Safety Car period continues.

BEA is okay and out of the car, but is limping. The medical car has picked him up while the Suzuka marshals clean up the debris at Spoon.

29 March 2026

Box, box 🅿️

It’s a switch to Hard tyres for Alex, who stops on Lap 22.

He returns to the track in P17.

29 March 2026

SAFETY CAR 🟡

BEA has crashed and the Safety Car is deployed.

Alex will gain time from stopping under this slowdown after others have already boxed.

29 March 2026

LAP 20/53

Alex sits P13 for the time being as pit stops come. Alex stays out, for now.

29 March 2026

ALEX to PIT

It’s the vibration that’s the issue. Nothing else.

29 March 2026

LAP 15/53

That’s a 1.7s gap for Alex now, but SAI is the car ahead after HUL passes the sister Williams.

29 March 2026

LAP 14/53

Alex sets a personal best lap.

29 March 2026

LAP 10/53

Alex is slipping back a little. It’s not 1.4s from HUL.

The Cadillac of PER is now 6s away, though. It’s only eyes forward right now.

29 March 2026

ALEX and PIT

ALEX: Do you understand what it is?

PIT: Currently not.

29 March 2026

LAP 7/53

Alex, still struggling with the car, keeps close to HUL and has PER some distance behind.

HUL is pressuring SAI for P16. Could the fighting allow Alex to have an opportunity to get by?

29 March 2026

LAP 4/53

HUL speeds by into Turn 1 to grab P17 from Alex.

29 March 2026

ALEX to PIT

I've got no deployments.

29 March 2026

LAP 3/53

Alex is following SAI in these opening laps.

HUL is the car behind, 0.7s away.

29 March 2026

LAP 1/53

Alex gets a good start but is backed up in the busy midfield, gaining a position.

Bearman, however fights back on the way to Degner 1, and Alex ends his opening lap in P17.

29 March 2026

PIT to ALEX

Two burnouts.

29 March 2026

Formation Lap 🟢

The first lap of the race is underway.

29 March 2026

Race Ready 📸

29 March 2026

National Anthem 🎸

An incredible rock rendition of the Japanese national anthem electrifies the start-finish straight.

29 March 2026

On the grid 🇯🇵

The grid is buzzing with activity as Alex parks up his car ahead of lights out.

We have 20 minutes before the formation lap…

29 March 2026

Recon Laps 🔁

Alex and the other drivers are continually running around the circuit to maximise their familiarity with today’s conditions and practise their starts.

29 March 2026

A delayed start ⏰

A crash in an earlier support race sees the race start delayed.

Alex will begin the formation lap at 10 minutes past the hour - that’s 40 minutes from now.

29 March 2026

Alex and Lily arrive for the Japanese GP 📸

28 March 2026

Qualifying ✅

28 March 2026

ALEX to PIT

Where was I slower to Carlos?

PIT to ALEX: You probably don’t want to know, but you can probably guess.

ALEX to PIT:

Yes… I complain for three races in a row that something’s wrong, but I’m sure it’s my driving still.

28 March 2026

P17 🏁

He finishes 0.157s away from a Q2 berth – he’s set for the race tomorrow.

28 March 2026

1:31.088 🏁

Currently P16 with drivers still setting times behind…

28 March 2026

PIT to ALEX

Go push.

28 March 2026

Back out there 👉

Fresh boots and minor tweaks made, Alex departs the pit lane for one last attempt to make it through to Q2…

28 March 2026

1:31.510 ⏱️

Alex improves on his best, placing him P17 and 0.05s off of a spot in Q2. He’s boxing for a final set of fresh softs ahead of his last push attempt.

28 March 2026

Box box 🅿️

Fresh softs for Alex and he’s straight back out on track…

28 March 2026

1:31.776 ⏱️

Third fastest time of the 10 to have set laps so far in FP3, he’s heading back in after that opening push…

28 March 2026

PIT to ALEX

Wind is in the same direction as FP3 – go push.

28 March 2026

Green light 🟢

Q1 is underway here in Suzuka and Alex is heading out on track…

28 March 2026

We are seated 💺

Alex is in his FW48 and ready for action, the green light is just a few minutes away…

28 March 2026

Qualifying at Suzuka 🔜

Almost time to race the stopwatch around this famous venue – stay tuned for full updates on Alex’s progress…

28 March 2026

Looking though the date before Quali 📸

28 March 2026

FP3 🏁

28 March 2026

Finding time 📈

Alex jumps into P16 after his final push lap of the session – it’s a 1:31.733

28 March 2026

Keep your eyes peeled – we'll drop the *top secret* password during the weekend 👀

28 March 2026

ALEX to PIT

I don’t agree with… yeah, tyres were nowhere – fronts were sliding.

28 March 2026

1:32.002 ⏱️

New personal best for Albono, he remains P17

28 March 2026

Back to it 👉

Another fresh set of softs for Alex as he heads out of the garage to start another stint.

28 March 2026

Saturday drive 📸

28 March 2026

1:32.139 ⏱️

Improvement in lap time, but he remains P16 after his third push lap on that set of soft tyres. He’s now back in the garage.

28 March 2026

PIT to ALEX

For a third lap on those tyres, that’s not bad.

28 March 2026

Comparable lap 📊

Alex’s second push is nine-hundredths down on his first attempt, he’s P16 with 30 minutes gone in FP3…

28 March 2026

ALEX to PIT

Slow on all the straights.

28 March 2026

1:32.305 ⏱️

First time on the board, he goes P15 for now.

28 March 2026

Go time 👉

“Straight out” is the call over the radio, Alex departs his garage on a fresh set of soft tyres

28 March 2026

10 minutes gone ⌚️

Just eight cars have been out on track so far, Alex will be joining that list soon…

28 March 2026

FP3 underway 🟢

Green light at the end of the pit lane, the final hour of practice running is go – no immediate rush to get out there…

28 March 2026

Heading to the garage 👋

Albono has made his way to his side of the garage ahead of FP3…

28 March 2026

Let's Play!

Show off your Alex Albon knowledge and play Paddock Party to prove you're the ultimate fan!

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28 March 2026

Thank you to all the Alex fans for the support 🫶

28 March 2026

Japan Day ✌️

Today sees the first competitive session of the Japanese GP weekend! Qualifying awaits for Alex this afternoon after he completes the upcoming FP3.

There were gains found between FP1 and FP2 yesterday. Can he continue that trajectory today?

We’ll find out very soon with FP3 coming at 11:30 local time.

27 March 2026

Keep your eyes peeled – we'll drop the *top secret* password during the weekend 👀

27 March 2026

FP2 🏁

27 March 2026

Chequered flag 🏁

That’s Alex’s Friday running complete – a positive FP2 to carry him into the rest of the weekend…

27 March 2026

Into the final few minutes ⌛️

Alex up to 25 laps for the session, he’s boxing to go back onto the soft tyre to take the flag…

27 March 2026

Putting in the miles 📸

27 March 2026

Back out for a race run 🏃

Practice start at the end of the pit lane complete, Alex starts his consecutive lap programme to gather data for Sunday…

27 March 2026

Box Box 🅿️

Soft tyre stint complete, back in the garage to prepare for the next phase.

Alex - P8

27 March 2026

PIT to ALEX

Looks a first lap tyre. Timing wise, that was a decent first push and we’d like to move on.

ALEX to PIT:

Yeah, that’s fine.

27 March 2026

1:31.496 📈

Alex goes into P6 for the time being following that first effort on the softs – 1.3s off the fastest time overall.

27 March 2026

Soft tyre time 🛞

Time for some Qualifying simulations here in Suzuka, Alex is back out on track…

27 March 2026

Let's Play!

Show off your Alex Albon knowledge and play Paddock Party to prove you're the ultimate fan!

Play Now

27 March 2026

ALEX to PIT

I have the same problems you think I have. The pull toggle is the opposite of what I need. If anything, it's the push toggle.

27 March 2026

Box Box 🅿️

Alex returns to the garage with a 1:32.722 in the bank – he’s P12 with 22 minutes gone and 10 laps recorded.

27 March 2026

ALEX to PIT

Huge torque-surging going on. Massive.

27 March 2026

Into the 32s 📈

It’s a 1:32.735 last time around for Alex, putting him P10 in the order for now…

27 March 2026

On the move again 👉

Alex gets his FW48 rolling once more.

27 March 2026

1:33.295 ⏱️

Alex improves, then immediately has a throttle issue and is stopped at turn 1.

27 March 2026

Lap aborted 🙅

Alex finds a car on the apex of turn 3 on his second push, he backs off and prepares to go again.

27 March 2026

ALEX to PIT

What is that guy doing? That’s dangerous.

27 March 2026

ALEX to PIT

Brakes feel different, but in a good way. Will take some getting used to.

27 March 2026

1:33.511 ⏱️

First timed lap of FP2 complete for Alex…

27 March 2026

Alex on track 👉

Medium tyres to begin this session for Albono…

27 March 2026

Green light 🟢

FP2 is GO here in Suzuka…

27 March 2026

2026 Season Mini Helmet

27 March 2026

Time to get back to it 📸

27 March 2026

Let's Play!

Show off your Alex Albon knowledge and play Paddock Party to prove you're the ultimate fan!

Play Now

27 March 2026

FP2 next ⏰

Just under 25 minutes to go before FP2 gets underway here in Suzuka.

27 March 2026

Keep your eyes peeled – we'll drop the *top secret* password during the weekend 👀

27 March 2026

FP1 ✅

27 March 2026

Practice Starts 🚥

Alex gets a new front wing and goes out of the pit lane as the chequered flag waves.

He’s navigating his way to the start-finish line to practise some race starts.

27 March 2026

Post-session Investigation 🔎

A message from race control:

FIA STEWARDS: TURN 16 INCIDENT INVOLVING CARS 23 (ALB) AND 11 (PER) WILL BE INVESTIGATED AFTER THE SESSION - CAUSING A COLLISION

27 March 2026

ALEX to PIT

I, uh, don’t know if he saw me.

27 March 2026

Contact 😖

Alex collides with the Sergio Perez at the final chicane.

A little damage to the car and Alex dives back into the pit lane.

27 March 2026

Tyre 🔀 Change

In and out for Alex, who opts for the used Hards again.

27 March 2026

PIT to ALEX

We think cornering speeds on the car look reasonable.

We’re down on the straights. Deployment being looked at.

27 March 2026

Finding Time ⏱️

There’s a 1:33.697 for Alex now, but that’s only a little faster than his previous effort.

27 March 2026

ALEX to PIT

It’s tough.

It’s really tough.

27 March 2026

Faster 📈

That’s a 1:33.791 on the Softs and good enough for P17 for Alex at the moment.

27 March 2026

Soft Tyre Running 🛞

Alex heads out, this time equipped with Soft Pirelli rubber for the final 17 minutes of the session.

27 March 2026

Box, box 🅿️

Time to say goodbye to those Hards after that wide moment.

27 March 2026

ALEX to PIT

I did touch that wall, so just check.

27 March 2026

Through the Gravel 😖

A wide moment at the exit of Degner 2 has Alex slide over the gravel and he does well to keep away from crashing into the tyre barriers.

27 March 2026

An Improvement 👏

There’s a 1:33.886 for Albono now as the lessons keep coming.

He’ll be switching to Softs fairly soon, but there are some more Hard-tyre laps to come.

27 March 2026

Delta Confusion 🤔

Comms between Alex and the pit wall discuss whether the delta time on the dashboard is out of sync as Alex looks to understand the car.

He’s P16 for the moment, with his last lap being a 1:36.160 on these nine-lap-old tyres.

27 March 2026

ALEX to PIT

Is there a reason for no power into Turn 1?

And the brakes are taking away confidence in Turn 8.

27 March 2026

Time ✌️

That’s a 1:34.243 for Alex on that second run and up to P14.

27 March 2026

First Time 📊

Alex’s opening attempt is a 1:35.486 with a relatively leisurely run around the circuit.

It’s P16 for the moment, but he certainly wasn’t giving it his all on that attempt.

27 March 2026

ALEX to PIT

The brakes feel a little bit strange…

27 March 2026

Back to Business 💪

Alex has a liberal load of flo-vis paint on his front right suspension as he heads back to the circuit on Hards.

27 March 2026

Staying In 🧰

Just the single lap for Alex so far before coming back to the pit lane.

27 March 2026

PIT to ALEX

We are boxing this lap.

27 March 2026

Exploratory Lap 👉

Alex waits for the queue to die down and heads out of the pit lane for his first Suzuka lap of 2026.

27 March 2026

Green Light 🟢

There’s a flurry of activity of cars going to the circuit, but Alex remains in the garage for the moment.

27 March 2026

Five Minutes ⏳

We’re nearly set to go for FP1.

The sun is shining here in Japan, with the air temperature around 16°C.

A perfect Friday for taking to Suzuka.

27 March 2026

Game Plan 👉

Alex has arrived at one of the most beloved circuits on the motorsport calendar - Suzuka.

The iconic figure-of-eight track will see FP1 begin shortly, with FP2 coming later today.

No Sprint this weekend, so all of the track time today will let Albono get ready for Quali and the race.

27 March 2026

Smile! It's the Japanese GP! 📸

25 March 2026

Let's Play!

Show off your Alex Albon knowledge and play Paddock Party to prove you're the ultimate fan!

Play Now

25 March 2026