F1 Japanese Grand Prix: 5 Talking points from qualifying

After a strong Mercedes show at the Russian Grand Prix, Formula One is at the Suzuka Circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix on 7 October 2018. Lewis Hamilton leads Sebastian Vettel by 50 points, virtually placing his one hand on the title.

The qualifying session has completed and has given us a host of surprises, which could severely impact the championship battle. Ferrari struggled in Q3, while Renault and Sauber endured lacklustre qualifying as well.

With the way the session has played out, it is very likely that the Silver Arrows are headed for their fifth consecutive win at the Suzuka Circuit, and in this article, let us look closer and understand what transpired during the qualifying session.

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#5 Romain Grosjean secures an unexpected P5

Romain Grosjean out-qualified both the Force India machines

Romain Grosjean displayed splendid pace during the qualifying session that secured him the fifth spot in tomorrow's starting grid. the Frenchman's form was just an extension of what he has shown throughout the weekend at all the three practice sessions.

Force India's Esteban Ocon was faster than Grosjean in practice, but a chaotic Q3 swung the odds in the Frenchman's favour, allowing him to secure a memorable P5. Interestingly, this was the second consecutive fifth place for the American team - Kevin Magnussen took P5 at the Sochi Autodrom in Russia.

Magnussen will start the race from the twelfth place, as he couldn't get through Q2.

#4 Honda-powered Toro Rosso puts in a good show

Both the Toro Rossos make the top-10

Toro Rosso machines delivered at the engine manufacturer's home race, ensuring that both the cars would start the race from the top of the field. Brendon Hartley and Pierre Gasly performed exceptionally well during the tricky conditions of Q3, trumping Force India to claim P6 and P7.

Their pace came as a surprise to many as the cars didn't display any of this pace during all the three practice sessions. Toro Rosso didn't make the top-10 in all those sessions.

The rain-hit session, combined with some excellent driving by the drivers of the Red Bull junior team put the team in a prime position to take points at the Suzuka Circuit - a special track for Honda.

#3 Mixed qualifying for Red Bull

Ricciardo bowed out of Q2 due to loss of power

Both the Red Bull cars showed good pace throughout the practice and looked like a real challenger for a spot on the podium. However, all was not well for the team as Daniel Ricciardo will start the race from the back of the grid.

The Australian failed to put in a flying lap in Q2 due to loss of power, forcing him to retire from the session. This setback meant that Ricciardo would start the race from P15, and he would need a lot of luck to challenge the cars at the top of the grid during tomorrow's race at the very technical Suzuka Circuit.

His teammate Max Verstappen, on the other hand, produced a good time in Q3, positioning him in the second row, almost 1.3 seconds behind the champion Lewis Hamilton.

#2 Ferrari's troubled Q3

Vettel's title chances are all but over

Ferrari and Sebastian Vettel needed a miracle this weekend to close the gap to Hamilton in order to challenge for the title as the team was slower than the Silver Arrows during all the practice sessions.

However, things took a turn for the worse for the Italian team in Q3. An error in judgment by the team sent both the cars out on the track on intermediates, when the conditions were't damp enough for those tyres to work.

Raikkonen and Vettel changed their tyres after completing the out lap, but those crucial seconds lost turned the tide against the Prancing Horse as it started to rain and the other teams put in flying laps on the slicks.

To make matters worse, the German went off track while on his flying lap, forcing him to finish the session in the ninth place.

Kimi Raikkonen will start the race from P4 while Sebastian will start the race from P8, as Force India's Ocon was handed a three-place grid penalty.

#1 Mercedes takes one-two

Mercedes takes yet another pole this season

Mercedes put a very good qualifying session at the Sochi Autodrom in Russia, and by the looks of it, the German manufacturer brought the same form to the Suzuka Circuit in Japan.

Toto Wolff managed the tactics perfectly in the rain-hit qualifying, allowing both the drivers to put in fast laps on the supersofts before the rain hit the track. This ensured that the Silver Arrows would set the pace at the start of the session while their rivals struggled to put in a few quick laps in tricky weather conditions.

The error in judgment from Ferrari ensured that the Silver Arrows cruised to a comfortable one-two for tomorrow's race. Hamilton takes pole while Bottas starts the race from the second place.