Ahead of today's opening session, the air temperature is 17 degrees C, while the track temperature is 25 degrees. One could say it is unusually cold, but this is the first time F1 has visited Suzuka at this time of the year... much like that time Bernie took us to Silverstone in April, Gawd bless 'im.

Indeed, talking of Silverstone, there is a 20% chance of rain.

In terms of upgrades, Red Bull has a new Sidepod Inlet, Floor Body Performance, Floor Edge and Front Corner, while Ferrari has a new Rear Wing and Rear Suspension and McLaren a new Front Corner.

Aston Martin has a new Floor Body, Floor Fences, Floor Edge and Diffuser, while Alpine has a new Front Wing, Front Corner and Beam Wing, and Williams a new Front Wing Endplate, Rear Wing and Beam Wing.

RB has a new Floor Body and Floor Edge and Stake a new Floor Body, while Mercedes and Haas have nothing.

The Aston Martin upgrades are only available for Lance Stroll today, though Fernando Alonso should have the full package tomorrow.

With just the two cars available - until Miami - Alex Albon and Logan Sargeant will need to be careful if the Grove outfit is to avoid a repeat of the Melbourne fiasco, while Lewis Hamilton has lost the engine he used in Melbourne, and Sergio Perez, Esteban Ocon and Yuki Tsunoda take on their second units of the year from their pools (of four).

Ricciardo misses this session as his car has been given over to reserve driver Ayumu Iwasa.

The lights go green and Stroll leads the way, followed by Bottas, Iwasa, Hamilton and Zhou.

Soon there are 17 drivers on track, with hards and mediums the order of the day.

Ocon complains of an unsafe release for Piastri, as Hulkenberg and the Williams pair are the only drivers yet to appear.

Of the first wave, Norris goes quickest (32.767), ahead of Hamilton, Perez, Sainz and Alonso, while Verstappen pits.

Sargeant and Hulkenberg head out, leaving Albon as the only no show.

"This McLaren just stopped in the middle of the corner," complains Russell.

As is the norm, what with testing new components a number of cars are sporting sensors, the one on Stroll's car appearing to be damaged.

Sainz goes top with a 32.667 only to be leapfrogged by Norris (31.781).

As Verstappen heads out again, Perez goes second (31.813), ahead of Alonso, Russell and Sainz.

Verstappen posts a cautious 31.947 on the hards to go seventh, while Alonso matches Norris' time o one-thousandth of a second.

Verstappen improves to 31.643, as Iwasa goes 18th.

As Hamilton heads out on softs, the first driver to do so, Stroll looks set to post his first time of the day. The Canadian goes eleventh with a 32.492.

Norris heads out on softs, as do Piastri, Gasly, Sargeant and Hulkenberg.

Oh dear, the session is red flagged as Sargeant crashes into the barrier at Turn 7. On the face of it, the damage, which is to the front wing and nose, is not that severe.

Replay shows that the Canadian clipped the grass and lost the car and span off into the barriers. "I'm sorry, man," he tells his team.

Prior to the flag, Hamilton had gone quickest with a 30.543.

The session resumes with 19 minutes remaining, softs are now the way to go as Verstappen leads the way, followed by Perez, Russell, Sainz and Alonso. Indeed, Alonso and Stroll are battling for position with Sainz, Russell and Albon, this track notorious for traffic issues.

Verstappen crosses the line at 30.056 to go top, in the Mercedes garage Toto Wolff is clearly unimpressed.

Hulkenberg gets a black and white flag for crossing the pit exit line - in an attempt to pass an RB - as Perez goes second, ahead of Sainz and Russell.

Piastri goes eighth and Norris tenth.

Ocon improves to eleventh with a 31.935, while Iwasa posts a 32.103 to go fifteenth.

Alonso is currently seventh, while Stroll - with all the updates - is down in seventeenth.

Hamilton switches to the mediums, while Leclerc opts for the hards, as does Verstappen.

The session ends.

Verstappen is quickest, ahead of Perez, Sainz, Russell, Hamilton, Leclerc, Alonso, Piastri, Tsunoda and Norris.

Ocon is eleventh, ahead of Albon, , Hulkenberg, Bottas, Stroll, Iwasa, Gasly, Zhou, Magnussen and Sargeant.

An odd session particularly in terms of the Mercedes pair splitting the Ferraris and the McLarens a relatively lowly eighth and tenth.

Then again, early days.

Check out our Friday gallery from Suzuka here.