Two weeks after his retirement in Australia, the three-time reigning world champion Max Verstappen (Red Bull) will try to take his revenge this weekend during the Japanese Grand Prix, the fourth round of the F1 season where he will still be the big favorite.
The Dutchman, who suffered brake problems in Melbourne, did not finish a race for the first time in two years and showed his anger by returning to his garage. There is no doubt that the insatiable Red Bull driver will be even more motivated than usual on the Japanese track that he loves so much.
Six months ago, Verstappen had already presented himself at Suzuka after a poor performance, his sixth place in Singapore which ended his streak of ten consecutive victories. The Dutch champion’s response was clear since he won by a wide margin, respectively 19 and 36 seconds ahead of the McLarens of Briton Lando Norris and Australian Oscar Piastri.
A similar rebound is therefore expected this weekend on the legendary Japanese circuit whose fast curves suit perfectly its Red Bull single-seater, which should make the most of its superiority.
Ferrari on the prowl
“These things can happen and we must not forget that we had just won nine races in a row. We will try to come back even stronger and the team is confident for this weekend,” Verstappen announced.
As since the start of the season, the Ferraris should be the main threats for Red Bull. Two weeks after an improbable double in Australia with the victory of the Spaniard Carlos Sainz ahead of his Monegasque teammate Charles Leclerc, the Scuderia, which has always appeared on the podium during the first three rounds of the season, will aim for the pass of four.
“It’s true that we were very solid in Australia, but you have to look at the first three races as a whole. The fact is that we are still two tenths behind Red Bull so we would need improvements, especially on a circuit like Suzuka,” said Sainz, who has won the only two races that have escaped the Austrian team since a year and a half.
The fast Japanese track should also suit McLaren, rather to its advantage in Australia on a somewhat similar circuit. The two “papaya”-colored single-seaters had indeed finished on the podium last fall and are once again candidates for places of honor.
Mercedes wants to bounce back
Mercedes for its part will try to bounce back after a catastrophic Australian round where neither of its two cars finished the race. However, the Silver Arrows should be in difficulty on a circuit that hardly suits them.
“Unlike McLaren, slow corners are one of our strong points, but at Suzuka there are a lot of fast corners and that’s where we’re failing this year so it will be complicated,” explained to the AFP George Russell.
The Briton, who had a big accident in Melbourne after unexpected braking by Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) in front of him, welcomed the penalty inflicted on the Spaniard, even if he considers the penalty of 20 seconds a bit severe.
“The penalty is a little too harsh. But not sanctioning him would have sent the wrong message when we have a role as role models for the younger generations of drivers,” he said.
On the French side, the first new products of the season arrive on the Alpine single-seaters, which have been in decline since the start of the year. However, the drivers do not expect big improvements this weekend and could continue their journey.
“It’s good to have the first developments on the car, but it was already planned before the start of the season, it’s a continuation of the development plan for the car. We do not expect a major change. We know that this will not take us where we would like to be… But it is a first step in the right direction,” underlined Frenchman Pierre Gasly.
Organized for the first time in the spring instead of the usual autumn date, the Japanese Grand Prix could be disrupted by the weather on Sunday since the forecasts indicate a risk of rain, which could reshuffle the cards.