Suzuka, you say? In April? I can assure you that you are not seeing things and that the Japanese Grand Prix has, in fact, come around once again, thanks to a change in the schedule for 2024. And, to be honest, I could get used to it, with the stunning Cherry Blossom x Racing Car shots that were constantly gracing our screens. But let's not forget, we are here for the racing, where, once again, it was Red Bull and Max Verstappen back on top in a race where strategies became the main talking point.
Up and down the field there were plenty of strategies on show, with a mixture of soft and medium tyre compounds on the start line. An early red flag gave drivers and teams an opportunity to revise these if necessary with, interestingly, Mercedes choosing the hard tyre at the restart. Unfortunately for them, it was a strategy that didn't work. But did, however, give the race some spice with George Russell using the undercut to his advantage, despite his eventual 7th place finish. His teammate, Lewis Hamilton, would finish 9th.
One team that did, surprisingly, get everything right was Ferrari. Now, I say "surprisingly," because over the years they seemed to have made a negative reputation for themselves when it comes to race strategies. A two stop for Carlos Sainz and a one stop for Charles Leclerc saw the team finish in 3rd and 4th respectively. Leclerc's impressive management of his one stop strategy definitely earned him Driver of the Day. But, of course, what's a race without a controversy in the Ferrari fan base. Just an every race occurrence every time Sainz beats Leclerc, it seems. (Insert eye roll here.)
Other strategies gave the race some much needed on-track action with plenty of battles, overtakes and a strong undercut. Take the two impressive 130R overtakes for Sergio Perez, or the heated battle in the midfield that saw at least five drivers pit at the same time, causing unexpected traffic in the pitlane and an investigation for Lance Stroll for a pit lane infringement (exiting the pit stop in the working lane) which ultimately led to the decision of "no further action."
This Japanese Grand Prix wasn't all about strategies, however. Remember that early red flag I mentioned before? A racing incident between the RB of Daniel Ricciardo and the Williams of Alex Albon, saw the duo convey into the barriers at turn two on lap one. Not the best timing in the world for both drivers, with Ricciardo coming under increased scrutiny for his recent performances and Albon for crashing another Williams chassis - a piece of important racing equipment that the team seem to be lacking spare of. After a standing restart on lap three, it wasn't until the final stages of the race before the yellow flag made it's second appearance. Low and behold, the second Williams was in gravel. Luckily for Logan Sargeant he, somehow, reversed himself back onto the track and finished the race with minimal to no damage. A sigh of relief could be heard from the Williams garage in Tokyo.
And, I have to mention Alpine. Again. Another Q2 appearance for Esteban Ocon gave Alpine and many of their fans hope for improvements. However, low straight line speed in the race saw them become sitting ducks on the straight. Ocon would finish in a miserable 15th and Pierre Gasly in 16th. There is no denying both drivers are capable of much more, as could be said for a number on the current back end of the F1 grid.
Suzuka is full of nostalgia, especially as it has been around on the F1 calendar since 1987 intermittently. And, one radio message single handily brought back a whole "vibe" from the 2015 Japanese Grand Prix.
"It's unbelievable how bad our speed is on the straight man. Like it's a different category!" - Lance Stroll
If you know, you know. If you don't, well. Back in 2015, Fernando Alonso, ironically Stroll's current teammate, said the infamous "GP2 engine! GP2 engine!" radio message, at Suzuka. This moment was very reminiscent to that. And, somehow, lovely to see, or hear???
Of course though, it would be Verstappen's weekend. Despite close competition from the improving Perez, Verstappen's Suzuka record almost guaranteed him the win. Regardless, to see Perez so much closer to his teammate once again, as well as Sainz gracing the podium for a third time this season, it could mean that Verstappen's route to a fourth championship may not be as simple as everyone is led to believe?
For me, Suzuka delivered in 2024. It wasn't the best race in terms of on-track competition but it was brilliant in a strategic kind of way. I think some fans forget how heavily influenced motor racing is by strategies. And, when you notice the positive effect they can have on a race, you start to appreciate the work of the strategists more. Anyway, next up, after five years, it's a return to China!
Comentários