Formula 1 fever in Japan this weekend

By Fatih Erel

ISTANBUL

The 17th race of the Grand Prix in 2018 Formula 1 will take place in the Japanese city of Suzuka over the weekend.

The qualifying round will be on Saturday, and the race will start on Sunday at 0610GMT.

The competition will be held at the Suzuka International Racing Course, a circuit of 5,807 kilometers (3,6 miles) in length, comprising 53 laps.

The leader of the season, Mercedes' British driver Lewis Hamilton won eight races, while Ferrari's German driver Sebastian Vettel was victorious in five races.

Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull-TAG Heuer team beat his opponents in two races and Dutch Max Verstappen ranked first in one race.

Lewis Hamilton leads Sebastian Vettel by 50 points in the championship, while five races remain in the 2018 Formula 1 season.

- This season's driver and constructor standings are:

- Top 5 drivers

1. Lewis Hamilton (Great Britain): 306 points

2. Sebastian Vettel (Germany): 256

3. Valtteri Bottas (Finland): 189

4. Kimi Raikkonen (Finland): 186

5. Max Verstappen (Dutch): 158


- Top 5 constructors

1. Mercedes: 495 points

2. Ferrari: 442

3. Red Bull: 292

4. Renault: 91

5. Haas: 80