Verstappen admits being INTIMIDATED by F1 feature
Verstappen admits being INTIMIDATED by F1 feature
Fresh off a surprise DNF in Australia, reigning champion Max Verstappen is looking to bounce back at the high-speed Suzuka circuit.
Verstappen's imperious run came to a screeching halt two weeks ago at the Australian Grand Prix when a fire on his right rear brake forced him out on the fourth lap, snapping a nine-race winning streak that stretched back to last season.
READ MORE: Verstappen drops F1 future BOMBSHELL ahead of Japanese GP
The disappointment was palpable for the Dutchman, who saw Ferrari's Carlos Sainz snatch his third career victory.
Despite the Melbourne setback, Verstappen remains atop the drivers' standings. His two wins in the first two races of the season in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia have him sitting on 51 points, with his closest rival, Charles Leclerc, trailing by four points.
READ MORE: Hamilton backs Vettel to REPLACE him at Mercedes
Verstappen aims to regain dominance at Suzuka
The high-speed corners have been a happy hunting ground for Red Bull, and Verstappen is confident the car will be a force to be reckoned with this weekend in Japan.
He even said that he found Suzuka 'intimidating' the first time he raced around the track, saying: “It’s quite intimidating, I think, the first time you actually drive around the track. That’s how I found it. It probably doesn’t help [that] it was also [my] first time driving a proper F1 car around here.”
He added: "I think if you look at Melbourne performance-wise, I think we were quick, but we didn't finish the race.
"So that's not ideal, but our car normally likes the higher-speed corners, so hopefully we can show that again this weekend."
The Dutchman's optimism is well-founded. He topped both Friday's opening practice session and Saturday's FP3 and even secured pole position in qualifying with a time of 1:28.197s.
Team-mate Sergio Perez also joins him on the front row, and it remains to be seen whether they could replicate their Bahrain and Saudi Arabia 1-2 finishes.
READ MORE: Hamilton RESURGENCE continues as rain tumbles down at Suzuka
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F1 Standings
Drivers
- Oliver Bearman
- Charles Leclerc
- Carlos Sainz
- Lando Norris
- Oscar Piastri
- Pierre Gasly
- Esteban Ocon
- Sergio Pérez
- Max Verstappen
- Alexander Albon
- Logan Sargeant
- Lewis Hamilton
- George Russell
- Nico Hülkenberg
- Kevin Magnussen
- Fernando Alonso
- Lance Stroll
- Valtteri Bottas
- Zhou Guanyu
- Daniel Ricciardo
- Yuki Tsunoda
Races
- Gulf Air Grand Prix of Bahrain 2024
- Saudi Arabian Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Australia 2024
- MSC Cruises Grand Prix of Japan 2024
- Grand Prix of China 2024
- Miami Grand Prix 2024
- Gran Premio dell'Emilia Romagna 2024
- Grand Prix of Monaco 2024
- Grand Prix du Canada 2024
- Gran Premio de España 2024
- Grand Prix of Austria 2024
- Grand Prix of Great Britain 2024
- Grand Prix of Hungary 2024
- Grand Prix of Belgium 2024
- Heineken Dutch Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Italy 2024
- Grand Prix of Azerbaijan 2024
- Grand Prix of Singapore 2024
- Grand Prix of the United States 2024
- Gran Premio de la Ciudad de Mexico 2024
- Grande Prêmio de São Paulo 2024
- Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix 2024
- Qatar Grand Prix 2024
- Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi 2024
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