Race Review: Japanese Grand Prix 2024

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!

Juan Manuel Fangio - The Greatest Driver in F1 History?

Recently on a flight home from the beautiful city of Athens, Greece, I decided to watch a documentary that had been sitting in my Netflix downloads for some time - A Life of Speed: The Juan Manuel Fangio Story.

Now, I've been into motorsport and Formula One since a young age, so of course, names like Juan Manuel Fangio, Jim Clarke and Alberto Ascari, just to name a small handful, are familiar to me. But never have I truly delved into the deeper depths of Formula One history. This documentary was an eye opener, and gave me a whole new appreciation for those early decades of Formula One and how the sport has transpired into what it has today.

Juan Manuel Fangio started his racing career racing in local events in his hometown of Balcarce in Argentina, with a 1929 Ford Model A that he had rebuilt. Over the years, Fangio impressed the motor racing community in his home country, eventually being sent to Europe to compete, with a Maserati in tow. The Argentine would line up on the grid of the first ever Formula One race in 1950, before continuing in the series for several years. Despite being the oldest driver in the majority of his F1 races, Fangio battled through the physical and mental challenges of 1950's F1 to win the championship five times - in 1951, 54, 55, 56 and 57. He would go onto retire after the French Grand Prix of 1958, declaring to his team that "it is finished."

Fangio's F1 stats are very much impressive, even more so when the challenges of 1950's F1 are put into consideration. But regardless, since his retirement in 1958, Formula One has gone onto produce a range of different world champions and drivers who have crushed long standing records; some being Fangio's own. So, what really is it that makes Fangio so... special? When, as already established, in terms of success, other drivers in modern day F1 have gone onto to achieve bigger things.

One of the more interesting aspects of this Netflix documentary, which is better than Drive to Survive might I add, is a piece of research that was conducted by The University of Sheffield's Dr Andrew Bell, in which he used different F1 statics and analysis to figure out who may be the greatest driver in F1 history. This piece of research was focused on quite heavily during the course of the documentary and there's no prize for guessing who takes the top spot. Juan Manuel Fangio. This interesting read puts Fangio way above the likes of Michael Schumacher and Lewis Hamilton, both of whom are the only drivers to have won more championships than Fangio himself, and both of whom barely make the top ten on Dr Bell's list. Intriguing, isn't it? But, maybe we needn't be so surprised. After all, in terms of percentages and ratios, his records were pretty immense, with a likelihood of never being beaten. You can read this piece of research in depth here.

"What he did in his time is something that was an example of professionalism, of courage, of style, and as a man, a human being. Every year there is a winner of the championship, but not necessarily a world champion. I think Fangio is the example of a true world champion." - Ayrton Senna

But back in the real world, the honest reality is that comparing drivers from the 1950's to drivers from today is a relatively impossible task. All you need to do is look at how much the sport has evolved in it's 70-odd years. Could Fangio win five championships in today's era? Could Max Verstappen do it in 1950? These are interesting thoughts to consider, for sure.

Despite this, with decades and decades passed since the 1950's, there really is no surprise to see Fangio's name still lighting up the subjective lists of F1 records. And, what about his memorable win at the Nurburgring Nordschleife in 1957? Pit stops were slow in the 1950's. But, slow pit stops were slower, and because of one Fangio came from nearly two minutes down on his rivals, catching and overtaking them, eventually winning the race. It was in this race he broke the lap record an astonishing NINE times!

But, do we really need to be wasting our time debating and researching - using scientific evidence, to work out who is the greatest driver in F1 history? The ever raging debate will continue on for infinity I'm sure. Even if we stop debating on this matter, achievements, such as Fangio's, should continue to be celebrated. They are pivotal moments in our sport's history, after all. Regardless, there is no denying, what Fangio achieved back in the yonder days is mesmerising and maybe watching this documentary will make people appreciate them and our sport's history the way it should be. At the end of the day, there are plenty of great drivers in Formula One, including the man of this post - Juan Manuel Fangio.

Suzuka: 5 Reasons Why It’s One Of The Best Tracks In The World

Ask any racing driver, team personnel, media person and/or motorsport aficionado, and they will gladly tell you that Suzuka is one of the greatest motor racing circuits in existence. But why is this so? When there are thousands out there, what makes Suzuka so special? Let me tell you!

Suzuka, originally a test track for Honda, joined the Formula One calendar in the late 1980's, making it one of the oldest currently on the calendar. Over the years, it has undergone several changes but has never lost it's trademark - the figure of eight layout. Only one of two FIA Grade One circuits to be designed and built in this way. You can find the second at Fiorano.

Plenty of racing drivers are happy to declare this as one of, if not, their favourite tracks. Lewis Hamilton once described it as "the best rollercoaster ride that I’ve felt in a Formula One car," whereas Charles Leclerc has said "I love the track, especially the first sector. For me, it’s really, really special. And it has something that you never find anywhere else. Also the passion of fans, it’s incredible.” For me, as a fan, Suzuka is incredibly exciting to watch. From the exhilarating speeds to watching the drivers navigate the corners such as Spoon and 130R, it's a racing driver's paradise and one I would 100% miss if it ever left the Formula One calendar.

Corners

One thing Suzuka has become known for is it's infamous fast and, somewhat, unpredictable corners, ready to catch any driver out if they get it wrong. Take the fast "S Curves" - 4 curves at different cambars, one after another; if a driver gets these right, then they may have set up a decent lap. If they get it wrong then it could mean a trip into the gravel. Then there's Degnar and Spoon, more technical and longer corners, before the slingshot that is 130R. It may be classed as a corner but very rarely is there any let up - a little bit like Spa's "Eau Rouge." If you want to experience some exhilarating 130R action, check out Fernando Alonso's overtake on Michael Schumacher at the 2005 Japanese Grand Prix. In fact, that move in itself is representative as to how great this track is.

Speed

As already established, despite having 18 corners, Suzuka is fast, with a top-speed being recorded at 315km/h, while the average speed hovers around 230km/h. The lap record, on the current track configuration is 1:30:983, set by Lewis Hamilton in 2019. There is no surprise that this track is classed as "high-speed," and is often described as a rollercoaster as it throws the driver around from one high speed section to another. A high level of commitment is essential for drivers if they want to max out their speed and post the perfect lap. You can read Rueben Barichello's Lap of Suzuka here.

Challenge

With it's infamous corners and tremendous speeds, there is no denying the challenge that awaits any driver who takes to it's tracks. In terms of mentality, physicality and technicality, there are plenty of aspects that come together to make this one of the most challenging tracks that features on today's F1 race calendar. But not only does the high speed and flowing corners give our drivers a task, there is also the challenge of keeping the car out of the gravel traps. That's right. Tarmac runoffs are a rarity around Suzuka! And what about tyres? With the circuit's figure of eight layout, all four tyres will, at some point, take the brunt of the weight when driving. So it's extra important that the perfect set-up is enabled to help with the added grip and traction a driver will be looking for.

Fans

For years and years, fans at Suzuka have never failed to hide their passion for Formula One. With their fun themed gifts for drivers and teams, wacky costumes - yes, those incredible DRS hats included, or just out right enthusiasm with supportive banners in the grandstands, fans at Suzuka have been classed as some of the best in the world. This takes nothing away from other fans of the sport, it's just that Japanese fans are something special and they never fail to put a smile on your face.

Old-School Track

Here we are with point number five, and surely it's "best til last." One of the most appealing aspects of the Suzuka circuit is that it's one of the remaining old-school tracks left on the F1 calendar. The Suzuka International Racing Course first opened it's doors in September 1962, before joining the Formula One calendar in 1987. Although, since then, the track has been slightly modified over time, it has generally kept to it's original state with that figure of eight layout and fast and elevated corners. It's a symbol of what F1 once was and what it should be. We shouldn't be loosing tracks like these to the likes of Vegas, Miami, Saudi Arabia etc. Old-School Tracks are a different breed and always bring the adrenaline and excitement.

So, has Suzuka's racing charm persuaded you to agree that it's one of the best tracks in the world? Well, next up is the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix. Excitement is waiting.