The Japanese Grand Prix was red-flagged on the first lap after a collision between Daniel Ricciardo and Alexander Albon damaged a barrier.
The pair were able to climb out of their cars unaided but the tyre barrier they hit at turn three was extensively damaged.
Albon, who started on the soft tyre compound, was attempting to pass Ricciardo around the outside of turn three when the pair made contact. Ricciardo had got away slowly after starting on the medium tyre compound and had already lost places to others on softs.
The stewards announced they will investigation the collision between the pair after the race.
The race was red-flagged shortly after the crash and the field returned to the pit lane. The race is due to restart at 2:32pm local time – over half an hour after the original start.
A standing start will be used to resume the race. The race director has confirmed cars will take up the order they were in when they reached the end of the first sector of the lap.
Max Verstappen will therefore retain his advantage from pole position, followed by Sergio Perez, Lando Norris, Carlos Sainz Jnr, Fernando Alonso, Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and George Russell all in their original starting positions. The first driver who has gained places between the two starts is Nico Hulkenberg, who passed the RB pair off the line and will restart from 10th place.
This decision is different to that used at the final restart of the Australian Grand Prix last year. On that occasion the race director chose to revert to the previous grid order, which among other changes restored Alonso to third place after he’d been hit by Sainz. The decision was challenged after the race by Haas, but the stewards backed the race director.
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2024 Japanese Grand Prix
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