Suzuka, Japan, 5 April 2024 (PA Media/dpa/MIA) - Max Verstappen set the pace in first practice for the Japanese Grand Prix as Willams endured another Friday session to forget.

Reigning champion Verstappen retired in Melbourne a fortnight ago but still leads the way in the drivers' standings and the Red Bull driver was once again topping the timesheets.

Verstappen's time of one minute 20.056 seconds was enough to see him go quickest at Suzuka, with team-mate Sergio Perez his closest challenger 0.181 seconds back.

A red flag half way through the session stopped running for 11 minutes as Logan Sargeant crashed off at turn two - further adding to the Williams woes.

Sargeant sat out the Australian Grand Prix two weeks ago as team-mate Alex Albon took his car after destroying his own in a practice crash and the team currently have no spare chassis.

Williams team principal James Vowles confirmed the car had suffered "extensive" damage and that it would be a race against time for the mechanics to prepare it for Friday's second practice.

"It's going to be difficult," he said of Sargeant's chance of making FP2.

"Obviously we will do our utmost to try and get the car back out there again, but the damage is extensive. So it will take a while.

"It is pretty significant (damage). So the chassis is okay, fortunately, but I would say pretty much everything else isn't - so the suspension around, the gearbox is cracked, big damage."

Albon went 12th fastest after the action restarted, while Verstappen assumed his usual position as the car to beat.

Carlos Sainz, who won in Australia last time out, was third-fastest for Ferrari ahead of the Mercedes duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, while the second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc was sixth.

Local favourite Yuki Tsunoda was ninth for RB behind both the Aston Martin of Fernando Alonso and McLaren's Oscar Piastri - whose team-mate Lando Norris rounded out the top 10.

Photo: MIA archive