Suzuka, FP1: Sainz quickest in wet opening session in Suzuka

Carlos Sainz went quickest in Suzuka in opening practice for the Japanese Grand Prix as wet conditions saw just 12 drivers set a time. The Spanish rookie was followed by Red Bull stablemate Daniil Kvyat with Nico Rosberg third for Mercedes.

The session began with steady rain falling and as a result the track saw little action for the first hour, with drivers mostly making installation and taking exploratory tours of the tricky circuit.

Sainz’s Toro Rosso team-mate Max Verstappen was the first to put in a meaningful effort, posting a lap of 1:51.741 just before the hour mark on wet tyres.

The Dutch teenager steadily improved to a time of 1:51.640. Sainz, who had been shadowing his team-mate in P2 then strode ahead with a time of 1m51.369s.

His initial spell at the top wasn’t long-lived and Rosberg resumed what seemed to be normal order when he hits 1:51.077 on wet tyres.

The track was improving, however, and both Toro Rosso drivers elected to try their luck on intermediate tyres.

Verstappen was first and he quickly stole into P1 with a lap of 1:50.940s. Kvyat then usurped the Dutchman with a lap of 1m49.938 on the green-banded rubber.

Sainz, though, timed his run to perfection, and the Spaniard’s table-topping lap of 1:49.434 came just before another band of rain arrived.

The Toro Rosso driver’s lap beat Kvyat by just over half a second with Rosberg a further 1400ths of a second back.

Sebastian Vettel was fourth for Ferrari, with Lewis Hamilton settling for fifth place 1.2 behind Sainz.

Kimi Raikkonen was seventh in the second Ferrari ahead of Williams’ Felipe Massa, Sauber’s Marcus Ericsson and Valtteri Bottas in the second Williams.

Felipe Nasr in the second Sauber set the 11th fastest time ahead of McLaren’s Jenson Button but the remaining drivers elected to keep their power dry in the quiet session.