Verstappen to replicate Vettel success - What to expect at the Japanese Grand Prix
Verstappen to replicate Vettel success - What to expect at the Japanese Grand Prix
F1 returns to Japan for the first time since 2019 as Max Verstappen prepares for his second opportunity to secure championship glory.
The Japanese Grand Prix was one of the events that fell off the calendar as a result of the Covid pandemic.
After failing to convert his first opportunity to become a back-to-back F1 champion in Singapore, what can you expect as Verstappen goes for a second shot at success?
Budget cap confrontation
The Singapore Grand Prix was marred by talk of potential breaches of the F1 budget cap and it is likely this will again be the case in Japan.
It had been expected the FIA would award certificates of compliance on Wednesday but this has now been pushed back to Monday - when the majority of personnel will be travelling back from Suzuka.
Team principals Toto Wolff and Mattia Binotto were particularly pointed last weekend whilst Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc and others have continued this commentary on Thursday.
We may all want to focus on the on-track action at such a thrilling venue, but the off-track stories could steal the show.
Verstappen to follow Vettel path
If Verstappen wins on Sunday and is able to set the fastest lap, he will become a double champion regardless of where Leclerc and Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez finish.
Given its position towards the end of the year and its history as the season finale, 11 drivers' titles have previously been decided at Suzuka.
But the circuit has not hosted a crowning moment since Sebastian Vettel took his second title in 2011 - also with Red Bull. On that occasion, the German sealed the deal by finishing third.
If Verstappen matches that result, Leclerc, would at least need to finish inside the top six to continue the title race in Austin.
Mercedes an uncertain threat
Mercedes has been able to offer genuine competition to Red Bull and Ferrari at recent events but whether the team can continue this into Suzuka is unclear.
Wolff conceded in his event preview that Mercedes face 'challenges' in Japan and that Hamilton's impressive drive to third on the grid will be "hard to repeat".
But speaking in Mercedes' debrief video from last weekend, chief technical officer James Allison struck a more positive tone, indicating a belief the qualifying performance "will carry forward to a good extent in the remaining tracks of the year."
McLaren vs Alpine
With the drivers' and constructors' battles seemingly a matter of if and not when Verstappen and Red Bull secure the silverware, the highest positional race is now between McLaren and Alpine.
A double points finish for McLaren in Singapore lifted the team back up to fourth in the standings in tandem with Alpine suffering a double DNF.
Alpine has enjoyed greater pace of late and the rivalry had appeared to be fizzling out, but the last result flipped an 18-point deficit for McLaren into a lead of four.
With five races remaining, there is plenty of time for another twist or two in the tale.
F1 returns to the Land of the Rising Sun
Finally, this weekend is a celebration of F1's long-awaited return to Japan.
The fans always put on a spectacular show with hats featuring car components and sometimes entire replicas, while others don full costumes.
And then we come to the track. Unquestionably, Suzuka is one of the greatest tracks on the F1 calendar with the twists, turns and elevation providing a thrill for fans and a challenge for the drivers.
You would be hard-pressed to find anyone that is not a fan of this particular event and all we can say is, welcome back Suzuka!
Related
Change your timezone:
Latest News
F1 manager reveals Piastri 'balance' challenge
- 1 hour ago
EXCLUSIVE: Hamilton engineer reveals top drivers' key characteristic
- 2 hours ago
Red Bull now pressured into MISTAKES insists F1 rivals as title race heats up
- 3 hours ago
F1 News Today: Vettel CONFIRMS stunning comeback as Red Bull boss issues Verstappen statement
- 3 hours ago
F1 fan celebrates Verstappen failure with OUTRAGEOUS permanent change
- Today 10:57
Wolff opens up on WHY Mercedes are 'very bad'
- Today 09:55
F1 Race Calendar
-
GP BAHRAIN
29 Feb - 2 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP SAUDI ARABIA
7 - 9 Mar
Max Verstappen
-
GP AUSTRALIA
22 - 24 Mar
Carlos Sainz
- GP JAPAN 5 - 7 Apr
- GP CHINA 19 - 21 Apr
- GP USA 3 - 6 May
- GP ITALY 17 - 19 May
- GP MONACO 24 - 26 May
Related news
Who is Ayumu Iwasa? The Red Bull junior replacing Daniel Ricciardo at F1 Japanese GP
Another F1 cornerstone race UNDER THREAT by street circuit bid
Shock plans for NEW F1 'street race' announced
Sainz admits 'laughing in the car' at Mercedes tactic
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
About GPFans
GPFans is a multi-platform, multi-language brand dedicated to Formula One coverage. We bring you all the ins and outs of the sport, 24/7, everything from up-to-the-minute news and features to the latest viral stories and clips.We believe that a new generation of exciting, outspoken drivers will make F1 more popular than ever before, and we want to give our users access to as much of their heroes as possible, on and off the track. From Lewis Hamilton to Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo to Sebastian Vettel, we provide in-depth analysis of every every Grand Prix in the season, from Australia to Abu Dhabi.
With Formula One under the new ownership of Liberty Media, how the sport is being covered is evolving, and GPFans will look to be at the heart of this progression into new media, as one of the fastest-growing sites covering the king of motorsports.
Follow us on your favorite social media channel
Corporate & Media
Innovatieweg 20C7007 CD, Doetinchem, Netherlands
+31645516860