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That was the weekend that was

The Japanese Grand Prix according to social media

Okay, own up, who left the rain setting on for Suzuka?

When we loaded up the game in our Japanese Grand Prix preview, we could have sworn we selected sunshine and rainbows, yet Suzuka was seriously soggy.

Persistent wet weather on Sunday meant we didn't quite get the spectacle we were hoping for after three years away from the incredible Suzuka International Racing Circuit, but thankfully, we had your social media reactions – and a tense game of UNO - to amuse us during the lengthy rain-enforced delays, ensuring we weren't sat twiddling our thumbs in the garage.

Rain may have hampered the action, but it didn't dampen your spirits.

With the sessions taking place during the early hours of the morning, this must have been a real issue for our European-based supporters this weekend. We hope you managed to catch up on some sleep during the daytime.

If you opted to stay up all night, you'd need to fuel yourself properly. Nothing like some Japanese food to get you in the mood.

We wish we'd known about this restaurant recommendation from @casablanca_yi before heading to Japan. We'll have to make sure we try it out in 2023!

Since unlocking the photographer skillset and picking up the customisable camera item, our Lando character has levelled up several times.

Meanwhile, the team had unlocked a very different type of camera.

Wow, we feel old.

After playing around with an old-school Gameboy, we allowed Lando and Daniel to re-join the 21st century for a spot of Mario Kart on the Nintendo Switch. At least we knew how to turn the rain off with this one.

Imitation is the highest form of flattery.

Back on the real-life circuit in Japan, we were still trying to work out how to switch off the rain.

We love the shoes, @little_annieeee, but we'd recommend saving them for a drier day.

Get well soon, @smceneaneyirl.

Rise and shine!

Thankfully Saturday wasn't quite so stormy. Well done to those of you on European time who were continuing to wake up in the early hours of the morning.

Qualifying didn't quite go as planned, but Lando did manage to secure a seventh successive top 10 start. However, Daniel missed out on Q3 by the tiniest of margins, with just 0.03s separating him from Lando in 10th.

You'll not be surprised to hear that the rain resumed on Sunday morning.

It was another early start for those of you in Europe, which meant some strong coffees and a few energy drinks.

Not sure about the merits of this particular technique, but each to their own.

It was slightly easier for those who weren't watching from Europe, with Papaya fans worldwide tuning in to watch the action.

And unlike us in stormy Suzuka, some of you were watching in the sunshine.

Fair play to those of you at the circuit who braved the conditions. 

Talk about a collector's item… Although, given the weather conditions, we're hoping that was a permanent marker… 

Speaking of collectors, that's an impressive merch gathering you've got there, @FormulaAimee. 

Red flag conditions during the race left us with time to kill, and a tense game of UNO had everyone on the edge of their seats.

Leave it with us, Team Papaya, we will do some digging and get to the bottom of this.

Had you considered that Kermit was channelling his inner Lando?

Lengthy rain delays meant there was little to write home about during the race, with Lando and Daniel finishing where they started in 10th and 11th, respectively.

Ultimately, it wasn't quite what we'd hoped for on our return to Suzuka, but races in Japan are a little like pizza – even the worse ones are amazing. And as always, so was your support! 

That's Suzuka complete. Time to switch off, recharge and reset ahead of another big double header in less than two weeks. We'll dive into the data and come back stronger in the US.

We can't wait to see you out there.

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