F1 Japanese Grand Prix: 5 Predictions for qualifying

#2 Red Bulls split the Ferrari machines

The battle between Red Bull and Ferrari could be a tight affair

Ferrari, who had a faster car for the better part of the season are trailing the Silver Arrows by at least 0.8 seconds in both the free practice sessions. The Prancing Horse's slower pace meant that the Red Bulls could give them a run for their money in the qualifying session.

Daniel Ricciardo outperformed both the Ferrari machines in FP1, while Max Verstappen posted a better lap time than Kimi Raikkonen in FP2, signalling their intent to secure a spot in the second row of the grid.

The Australian driver finished behind Raikkonen in FP2, but the gap was less than 0.02 seconds. With such fine margins, Ricciardo could produce a flying lap in qualifying and wrestle a spot away from the Italian team.