Mercedes’s Lewis Hamilton leads the driver’s championships and has won the last two races too. (Source: Reuters)

The worst impact from a typhoon lurking off the coast of Japan will be felt the day after the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix and could affect preparations for the next race in Russia, the sport’s weather forecaster warned on Friday.

UBIMET said that the forecast for Sunday remains unchanged with the race expected to be held in wet conditions with occasional heavy rain from Typhoon Phanfone drenching the 5.8km Suzuka circuit. The forecaster added, however, that the centre of the typhoon would pass close to Suzuka between the early and the afternoon hours of Monday and expects it to cause “widespread transport disruption, structural damage and possible injuries.”

“Probably Phanfone will pass to the southeast of Suzuka. There are also model solutions that can draw the eye directly on the race circuit,” UBIMET said in a statement.

“In both cases severe structural damage is expected on Monday, with possible widespread severe damage from the second case.”

Formula One teams face a quick turnaround following the Japanese race and must transport equipment to Sochi for the Russian Grand Prix the following weekend. “Keeping to this tight schedule will be wholly dependent on how the typhoon behaves and will surely be a tough challenge,” UBIMET said.

Lewis Hamilton was fastest in practice on Friday. Championship leader Hamilton, winner of the last two races, set the pace in a crash-interrupted second session after Mercedes team mate Nico Rosberg had lapped quickest in the morning.

Mercedes eye title

The Briton’s time of one minute 35.078 seconds in the afternoon at Suzuka was more than two-tenths of a second faster than Rosberg’s best. Mercedes, who could claim the constructors’ championship this weekend if results go their way, were again dominant with their drivers one-two in both sessions.

“It’s amazing what this team has done, to be able to come to one of the most demanding circuits for downforce and be that competitive is fantastic,” said Hamilton, who leads Rosberg by three points in the standings with five races to go. “The car didn’t feel spectacular this morning, but on the option (tyre) it felt really good.”

Finland’s Valtteri Bottas kept his Williams at the sharp end of the field, setting the third fastest time in the second session after having gone fourth quickest in the day’s opening 90 minutes.

McLaren’s Jenson Button, who regards the Japanese Grand Prix as a second home race, followed the Williams by setting the fourth fastest time in his McLaren ahead of reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel’s Red Bull.

Kimi Raikkonen led Ferrari’s charge in the second session ahead of team-mate Alonso, whose future remained a major talking point after he refused to rule out leaving the sport’s glamour team as early as next season. Alonso appeared to have confirmed the progress the Maranello-based team had made in Singapore, setting the third-fastest time in the morning only to slip back to seventh at the end of the day.