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After only two weeks of waiting, on Sunday, April 7, 2024, the Japanese Grand Prix will be held, the fourth race of the Formula 1 World Championship. The event has been moved forward from its usual September/October slot. The possible winner is Max Verstappen, who started this season with back-to-back victories in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, followed by a retirement in Australia due to brake problems. Other favourites are Sergio Perez and the Ferrari pair Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc, who gave the Scuderia their first one-two finish since the 2022 season opener. The paddock was lively with news during the first day of the race weekend. The Williams American driver, Logan Sargeant, will participate in the whole race weekend. At the previous Australian Grand Prix, his teammate, the Thai Alexander Albon, had an accident during the first free practice session. The British team, who did not have a spare chassis, did not manage to repair the damaged one. During the rest of the weekend, Williams decided to give Albon his teammate’s car, so Sargeant was forced to forfeit the Grand Prix. The Super Formula home driver, Ayumu Iwasa, member of the Red Bull Junior Team, will take part in the first session of free practice on Friday for RB, in the place of Daniel Ricciardo, with the number 40. For Iwasa this marks the official debut at a session of the maximum category. The Italian Scuderia follows the provisions of the Sporting Regulations valid from 2022, which state that all the teams signed up for the Championship must line up, during the free practice sessions, at least two young drivers who have not raced in more than two Grands Prix, in two occasions, one on each vehicle. McLaren is racing with a special livery according to the Driven by Change campaign, which returns for its fourth season in the maximum category. After the Grand Prix, on Tuesday and on Wednesday, Sauber and RB are going to hold some tyre tests to develop constructions and compounds for the next season. For this Grand Prix, Pirelli, the sole tyre supplier, offers, due to the technical characteristics of the circuit, the choice between compound tyres C1, C2 and C3, the hardest compounds of the range made available by the Italian company. Since the 2019 edition of the Grand Prix, the company has always established the same type of tyres for this event.
The lineup was chosen for the second time this season after what was already established at the Bahrein Grand Prix, first race of the Championship. On the eve of the previous Australian Grand Prix, Pirelli appointed the choice of tyres for the subsequent China and Miami Grands Prix. The Federation establishes the traditional area where drivers can activate the Drag Reduction System, the one placed along the main pit straight. The detection point, the point for the determination of the gap between the drivers, necessary to allow the use of the device, is positioned after Turn 15. In the 2022 edition, the detection point had been moved from before Turn 16 to after Turn 15. Since the introduction of the mobile device in Formula 1, during the 2011 season, the Suzuka circuit is one of the few tracks which only has one zone for the use of the mobile device, established, as the other tracks, always on the first straight. On the eve of the 2018 edition, some drivers wanted the introduction of a second DRS zone, established on the track’s third sector, between Turn 14 and 16, which would have included Turn 15, known as 130R, addressed at high speeds. For safety reasons, the Federation rejected the idea. Compared to the 2023 edition, the circuit has been subjected to some changes. New fences for debris are installed on the right side at Turns 7, 9, 11 and 15. The protective tyre barrier on the left side at the exit of Turn 12 has been renovated. The artificial grass on the left side between Turns 16 and 17 has been removed. A few days before the start of the Japanese Grand Prix, on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, McLaren announced a number of organisational updates within its Formula 1 team. As the team continues its relentless quest to establish the highest technical standards and move up the F1 grid they confirmed a number of organisational updates aimed at further strengthening and evolving the technical model. Rob Marshall will assume the role of Chief Designer. Neil Houldey will move to be Technical Director - Engineering. Peter Prodromou will continue in his role as Technical Director - Aerodynamics. The Concept and Performance department will be streamlined to focus on Performance and will be led by the Technical Director - Performance. Andrea Stella will assume this role ad interim until a permanent appointment is confirmed. As part of these changes, and following a number of discussions, David Sanchez has left the team. Andrea Stella, McLaren F1 Team Principal, says:
"This further step in the evolution of the structure of the Technical Department and of the working model within the team shows our commitment to constantly enhancing our technical capabilities and workflows for greater efficiency and effectiveness. Following thoughtful discussions between David Sanchez and the Team Leadership, the mutual decision has been taken for David to leave the team. Upon our joint reflection, it became apparent that the role, responsibilities, and ambitions associated with David's position did not align with our original expectations when he agreed to join us in February 2023. Recognising this misalignment, both David and I agreed that it would be best to part ways now, so as to enable him to pursue other opportunities that will better leverage the full scale and breadth of his remarkable skillset. We greatly and gratefully value the contributions that David has made during his relatively short time with us, and we wish him the best in his future endeavours".
And David Sanchez adds:
"I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this team. While the role we envisioned and had agreed to was not aligned with the reality of the position I found, I leave with respect for the leadership, admiration for the dedication of my colleagues, and appreciation for the openness and honesty in which we discussed and arrived at this decision. I wish this team continued success as it continues its journey to the front of the grid where it belongs. I look forward to my next challenge within F1".
But for sure, this news will neither disrupt nor affect the race weekend of the McLaren team, which instead seems ready to tackle the fourth round of the season. In fact, Lando Norris is very excited to be in Japan:
"I'm excited for the Japanese Grand Prix, it's one of my favourite tracks and it's always fun to see all the fans, they're always so passionate. We'll also be racing in a special livery, which looks really cool. It was great to be back at the MTC last week, celebrating our Australian GP result with everyone at the factory. I've been going over the data from Australia and preparing for the next race with my engineers. It's been a decent start to the season for us so far, we're focused on pushing forward and continuing to take the fight to our competitors".
And also Oscar Piastri is very happy to be in Suzuka as here he got the first podium of his career:
"Suzuka up next! The Japanese Grand Prix holds good memories for me from my first-ever Grand Prix podium and a double podium for the team. After a P4 finish in Australia where we were in the fight, we're even more determined to continue improving to hopefully achieve another good result. I really like the livery we'll be running in Japan. I'm also looking forward to seeing all the fans and experiencing the enthusiastic atmosphere they always bring. It's a great track to race, and a great place to be".
Andrea Stella, McLaren’s Team Principal, arrives in Japan thinking that the team have still to make some steps forward:
"Following our successful result in Australia, we now turn our attention to Japan. The Suzuka circuit is always a fan and driver favourite. While the nature of the track can offer some challenges, it makes for some great racing. While this circuit has been good to us in the past, we must keep in mind the steps forward we are yet to take. However, our podium finish in Australia serves as a good reminder that we are on the right track, we just need to keep focusing on ourselves and executing our plan and the results will keep coming".
Those who, on the other hand, come to Suzuka with hopes of improving their performance are Mercedes, which has so far faced the first three Grands Prix with some unexpected difficulties.
The car does not seem to be able to find a good balance between slow and fast corners. In addition, the future departure of Lewis Hamilton has made a part of the team unhappy. Toto Wolff, on his hand, is ready to analyse Mercedes’ performance:
"After a difficult weekend in Australia, it's good to get back racing in Japan this weekend. Since Melbourne, we have been focused on improving the consistency of the W15. The car has shown signs of strong performance on occasion, but we've struggled to deliver this at the critical moments across the first three races. Suzuka, with its famously fast sweeps mixed with some low-speed content, plus elevation change, will provide a different challenge to the circuits we've raced at so far. It is therefore another good opportunity to build on our learnings and analyse the work that has been undertaken since Australia. We head to Japan at a slightly earlier time of year than usual this season. Whilst it is unlikely to have a major impact, it will be important to understand any differences that this causes in terms of track conditions. One thing that won't change is the remarkable support from the Japanese fans. It is always a fantastic atmosphere at Suzuka and I am sure it will be the same once again this weekend".
Those who, on the other hand, do not have performance problems, but rather political ones, are the Red Bull Racing team, still grappling with the Horner case. A case that, as time passes, seems to be deflating. What is not deflating, however, is the desire for redemption after the mishap that deprived Max Verstappen of a possible victory in Melbourne. The Dutch driver expresses his feelings about this race weekend:
"Suzuka is always a great circuit to go racing at. As a Team, we have had a lot of special memories here over the years including winning last year's Constructors’ Championship as well as winning my second Drivers’ Championship here too. It has been nice to have had a break with family and friends before the racing starts and always fun to be able to spend some time in Tokyo too. The last race in Melbourne was unfortunate and these things happen, however we achieved nine race wins in a row, which is an impressive feat, so we are looking to come back even stronger for this weekend. The Team is feeling confident for Suzuka: it is an iconic circuit and is always fun to drive. The track has a lot of high speed corners and high degradation and we need to ensure that we optimise our performance where we can, especially with rain forecasted for this weekend. I am looking forward to getting back in the car and ready to fight for the win this weekend".
Sergio Perez first expresses his love for Japan in general and then his hopes for this race, given the result of the previous one:
"I am looking forward to this week, Japan is always a great race on the calendar and this year we are going a lot earlier in the season, which will make things interesting. I always love going to Tokyo before the race week starts, the food in Japan is one of my favourite things so I will be making sure I enjoy that before heading to Suzuka to focus on the race. This circuit always provides exciting racing and the race down into turn one is iconic in the sport - it’s fun if you come out on top there. The weather can sometimes really influence things here, with the rain that often comes and this time of year looks like it could be the same, so we will need to maximise the moments we get with the car to perfect the set up. Australia was not the best time for the Team, it was a shame the penalty we had plus the damage during the race but we have overcome moments like this before. We want to be back on the podium this weekend".
After the brilliant performance in Australia, fans' eyes are turned to the Scuderia Ferrari. Beyond the technical problem that stopped Max Verstappen, the Italian team's show of strength did not go unnoticed. Carlos Sainz Jr. relaxed a bit after his surgery and the win in Melbourne, and now is ready to be back on track:
"After the win in Melbourne I spent a few days relaxing, but the best thing was being able to get back to work on the physical training side now that the wound from my appendix operation is no longer causing me any major problems. I’d say it’s my favourite track of the whole season. It’s got everything and demands the most from the car as well as from the driver. Personally, I find that tracks where you lose time if you cross the white lines are the best. That’s exactly what happens here and every mistake costs you dear, given that the barriers are very close. The first series of esses is marvellous, but honestly there’s not a single corner I don’t like. It’s a real driver’s track and I can’t wait to jump in the car and tackle it".
Charles Leclerc is overall satisfied with this start of the season:
"I think we can be pleased with how we have started the championship, even if we must not let up and we have to continue to work hard. I think they did a great job in Maranello over the winter, because the SF-24 is a clear step forward compared to last year’s car. Then in the races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, as a team, we got the best result available and in Australia we made the most of it when our rivals slipped up, not leaving a single point on the table. Obviously, I have not yet won and that is still my immediate short-term goal, but I think we have maximised our potential. Looking ahead to this weekend’s race, I want to continue with the way the season has gone so far. I think that, at a track like this, Red Bull will be very competitive, especially as in Australia front tyres suffered from graining which we don’t expect will be the case here. Having said that, from our side, it will be vital to stay focused on ourselves so that we are ready to make the most of any opportunity that comes our way. We aim to be fighting at the front and then we’ll see what sort of result we can bring home".
So Frédéric Vasseur, Ferrari’s Team Principal, adds:
"We head for Japan buoyed by our one-two finish in Australia. That winning feeling only serves to make us work even harder to try and experience it again as soon as possible. The Suzuka track provides a particularly stern test for cars and drivers, which is why it is so popular with them. We believe we have a competitive package, but we know we need to do a perfect job to beat our rivals. As always in Japan, and this year in particular as it’s the first time we race at Suzuka in early Spring, the weather could play its part, but we have prepared for this possibility back at the factory and we are determined to be front runners".
Before the first free practice session on Friday, the cars of Sergio Perez, Lewis Hamilton, Esteban Ocon and Yuki Tsunoda had the second unit related to the internal combustion engine, the turbocharger, the MGU-H and MGU-K installed. On the cars of Ocon and Pierre Gasly the second unit related to the electronic control unit has been installed. On the cars of Perez and Tsunoda the third unit of the exhaust system has been installed, while on the cars of Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz Jr., Ocon and Gasly the second unit of the same component has been installed. All the drivers are not penalised on the starting grid as the new components installed are among those usable in the maximum number established from the technical regulations. On the cars of George Russell and Hamilton the second gearbox and the second transmission have been installed. Both Mercedes drivers are not penalised on the starting grid as the new components installed are among those usable in the maximum number established from the technical regulations. On Friday, April 5, 2024, in the first free practice session, Red Bull Racing dominated, with Verstappen ahead of Perez by 181 thousands. The Dutchman’s time is more than a second and a half faster than the best time of the 2023 edition. The only driver able to get close to the World Champion’s time is Sainz Jr., two tenths slower. Ferrari was competitive in the mini long runs, and on hards, it was faster than the Austrian team’s cars. Behind the first three are the two Mercedes, which however were not great in the race simulation. The session was interrupted, with twelve minutes to go, never to be resumed, because of Logan Sargeant leaving the track at Turn 7.
The American driver hit the barriers after a spin. Aston Martin received a 100 Euro fine from the Federation because Canadian driver Lance Stroll exceeded the speed limit in the pit lane. The second session on Friday is almost irrelevant, due to the light rain which makes the use of slick tyres too dangerous, but that does not wet the track sufficiently to allow the use of intermediate wet tyres. Only 13 drivers got on track, and only five set a timed lap, with times set on a drier track. The best was Oscar Piastri, who preceded Hamilton, who had aborted an attempt with medium tyres at the start of the session, and Leclerc. During the first two sessions of free practice on Friday, Fernando Alonso and Alexander Albon had their cars use a transmission outside the planned allocation according to the technical regulations. Both drivers are not penalised on the starting grid as the new components installed are among those usable in the maximum number established from the technical regulations. At the end of the first day of free practice, George Russell is satisfied, as the car performed better than he thought:
"We performed better than we expected in FP1. That was a pleasant surprise, and the car was feeling really nice to drive. Both Lewis and I were happy with the overall balance. The W15 has been performing better when the conditions are cooler though, so that is a note of caution. Our focus today was trying several test items and experiments to make the car more consistent in variable conditions. Time will tell whether these have had the intended impact and it was frustrating that we couldn't evaluate these further in the afternoon. It's such a shame for those here and watching at home that we couldn't do much running in FP2. I hope we can find a solution for these moments and conditions. It's not the first time it has happened, and it won't be the last. Looking at tomorrow, qualifying will be interesting as it's a clear single lap tyre. Most drivers may only have three or four sets of the Soft compound so you will have to ensure you nail each and every lap".
Lewis Hamilton is of the same mind of his teammate:
"FP1 was a great session for us. It was the best session for us so far this year and the best the car has felt. I was feeling very positive and excited heading into FP2 as every driver loves to drive on this track. It was a shame not to get much running in, therefore. In the last two years here, we've struggled with a car that has had an inconsistent balance and has been difficult to drive. The team has done a lot of great work since Australia, and we seemed to hit the ground running today. The car was definitely in a sweeter spot. We've got a better baseline to start from this weekend and hopefully we can build on that".
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director, analyses this race weekend’s start:
"We've done a lot of work over the last week focused on making the car more consistent. We've seen across the first three races that we have sessions where we look strong, but when it comes to qualifying and the race, we've fallen short of our expectations. It's too early to say whether we've made the progress that we are hoping for, but it is encouraging that the drivers are happier with the feel of the car. The data also suggests that we have got the tyres in a better window. It was a shame for the fans that the weather reduced the amount of running in the afternoon session, but there is plenty of opportunity to get laps in tomorrow morning".
Oscar Piastri surely expected more from this session:
"Not a lot going on in FP2 today, but I was able to get a couple of laps in at the end in the tricky conditions. I think it's been an okay day, it's difficult to get a good reading on everybody's pace because of the lack of representative laps. I think we're in a decent position, so we'll take what we have available in the data and look to learn more tomorrow morning ahead of quali".
Lando Norris is not satisfied at all but still optimistic for qualifying:
"Not a very busy day on track overall. It's a shame we didn't get much running done in the morning because of the red flag and then again in FP2 with the conditions. It's unfortunate for all the fans who came to watch today. I think we're in a reasonable place with the car, so I'm confident we can go into tomorrow and get a final feeling before we head into qualifying. We'll work hard to put ourselves into a competitive position".
Andrea Stella, McLaren’s Team Principal, concludes:
"The red flag in the first practice session and then the rain in the second one meant that there wasn't much track running on the first day of practice. That's a shame for the super F1 fans that came to the Suzuka circuit today, but hopefully the remainder of the weekend will be busier on track. The limited running leaves some unknowns in terms of car setup and also, to some extent, tyre behaviour for the rest of the weekend. However, this is the same for everyone and may also present an opportunity".
Simone Berra, Pirelli Chief Engineer, analyses this first day of practice:
"As things turned out, only the first hour of free practice produced any useful data regarding tyre behaviour on this very demanding Suzuka track. The second session was spoiled by intermittent rain, which meant the track surface was never dry enough to provide sufficient grip for the drivers to push on slicks, nor was it wet enough to be able to fully evaluate the behaviour of the intermediates, even less so to identify the crossover point from this tyre to the dry weather ones. The most striking piece of data was how much quicker the lap times were compared to the previous Japanese Grand Prix. On the same compounds as in 2023, Verstappen's 1'30"056 is 1"6 faster than the quickest time, also set by him, last September. Clearly, the significantly lower temperatures could have contributed to the quicker lap times, in particular enhancing C3 performance. The other factor is the general increase in performance from this year's cars. The Soft can therefore be considered as a race tyre, given the performance advantage it would ensure for the start and over the opening laps. This means it is a particularly attractive choice on a track where overtaking is far from easy. However, for a further evaluation of possible strategies, we must wait for tomorrow's free practice session".
Max Verstappen is happy with his RB’s performance. Although the race simulations were not good compared to Ferrari, the Dutch driver is very confident:
"It was a good start for us today. The bouncing wasn’t too bad and I felt comfortable with the car. There are still a few things to try and look at but, overall, it was a good FP1. Of course, in FP2 we couldn’t do anything, which was a shame as this means that we don’t know the long run pace, but we can’t do anything about the weather. In general, it looks like everyone is a bit closer compared to last year and I don’t expect the same kind of gaps here at this track. There are a few things that we still want to look at tomorrow, but overall I felt quite happy with what we had and the laps that we did. Suzuka is usually a good track for the Team, so we are confident going into the weekend".
Sergio Perez expected more but is overall satisfied:
"It was unfortunately not a very busy Friday, so we probably got the most out of what we could. We were expecting a better P2 but unfortunately the rain prevented us from running and that meant we couldn’t get any more learnings. I think we have a good base from the morning though, we just have to try and find a bit of balance and hopefully we can be in a good position".
And he adds:
"I was pleased with the car from the runs we had, we have made some changes ahead of this race and it feels good. We had made some changes for FP2 and obviously we didn’t manage to get the read on those but we are in a similar situation as a lot of teams around us. It will be a very busy practice session tomorrow, we are going to be doing some high fuel runs and then go into quali prep, so it should be an interesting morning. We are confident for this weekend; I think the car is working well".
Scuderia Ferrari incredibly showed potential on the long run. Doctor Marko warns fans, however, saying that the Maranello team often uses less fuel in free practice. In addition, Carlos Sainz Jr. describes the specific situation in his box:
"It was not an ideal Friday as we lost all of the second session due to the changing conditions. This morning in FP1 I was quite comfortable in the car, but I was looking forward to the afternoon session to continue working on the setup. The track was too wet for slicks and too dry for intermediates, so it really made no sense to run and we decided to stay in the garage. Anyway, we are all in the same situation and we still have tomorrow morning to fine tune the car ahead of qualifying".
Charles Leclerc is searching for some answers he needs:
"It was a mixed day. In FP1, we identified a few things we needed to work on in terms of set-up. But then, we barely ran in FP2 and so we couldn't find the answers we were looking for over a flying lap, so we will have to focus on that tomorrow morning to be ready for qualifying".
In the night between Friday and Saturday, Aston Martin used one of the two available curfews breaches during the season in order to make some changes on their cars. The British team was not penalised. Before the start of the third free practice session, on Pierre Gasly’s car the second internal combustion engine unit is installed, together with the turbocharger, the MGU-H, MGU-K and the energy recovery system, and the third unit relating to the exhaust system. Gasly is not penalised on the starting grid as the new installed components are among those usable in the maximum number established by technical regulations. On the cars of Charles Leclerc, Logan Sargeant, Valtteri Bottas and Nico Hülkenberg the second gearbox and the second transmission are installed. All the drivers are not penalised on the starting grid as the newly installed components are among those usable in the maximum number established by technical regulations. In the Saturday session as well, the Red Bull Racing duo takes the lead. Max Verstappen is again ahead of Sergio Perez. The World Champion however complained about the understeer of his single-seater. Behind them there are the two Mercedes, with Russell third, and last, driver to close a lap in less than ninety seconds. The Ferraris are further away: Sainz Jr. has the seventh time, while Leclerc does not manage to get more than the tenth position. The Italian cars, however, showed excellent competitiveness in race simulation. In qualifying Kevin Magnussen is the first driver to set a lap. Mercedes is out with both drivers, and George Russell pushes Piastri against the wall; with the Australian having to avoid the accident; among the best drivers, Perez is the one in the lead (1'29"303), but Verstappen takes the limit to 1'28"866, with just one lap in Q1. Leclerc is third, a second behind, before being passed also by Sainz Jr. and Hamilton. Russell also manages to do better than the Monegasque, but nobody seems to be able to compete with the World Champion’s time. The only one may be Alonso, who sets a time 0.388s off. Leclerc, now P10, is back on track: after a bad first sector, he gets better in the second, and closes P4. Among the drivers fighting for Q2, Esteban Ocon gets P10; Ricciardo does even better, P9. Yuki Tsunoda is P12, while Bottas climbs to P8. The drivers eliminated are: Stroll, Gasly, Magnussen, Sargeant and Zhou.
Q2 starts and Sergio Perez sets the reference time (1'28"752); this time Verstappen needs to run a better third sector to beat his teammate’s time (1'28"740). Oscar Piastri momentarily takes P3, just before Alonso steals it from him. Fifth is Lewis Hamilton, but one second behind Verstappen. Then it is Norris to finish behind the Red Bull Racing. The Brit, who has the best partial in the first sector, is still two tenths off from Verstappen. Russell is seventh, Hülkenberg ninth, ahead of Ocon. Ferraris are not very fast: Leclerc is sixth, and Sainz Jr. fifth. Well for Hamilton, third, two tenths behind the best time. George Russell is seventh, four tenths off. Ricciardo closes tenth, while Alexander is P12. Tsunoda is now tenth, and manages to get into Q3. The drivers excluded from Q3 are Ricciardo, Hülkenberg, Bottas, Albon and Ocon. In Q3 Hamilton sets the first time (1'28"766); while Russell is just behind (1'29"008). Verstappen is still the fastest (1'28"240), ahead of Perez, more than three tenths behind. Fernando Alonso is fourth, while Sainz Jr. manages to get the third place, behind the two Red Bull Racing. Piastri closes P4, while Norris, still the fastest on the third sector, goes P2. Leclerc, with only a set of softs, decides to do just one attempt, entering the track when the other drivers are preparing themselves for the second attempt at the boxes. The Ferrari driver, despite being the fastest in the second sector, is only P7. Perez has an excellent first sector but Verstappen manages to do even better, a tenth faster. The Mexican tries again, sets the best time in the second sector, and places himself ahead of Verstappen, but then makes a mistake in the third sector, and finishes 23 thousandths away from the Dutch. He is able to improve and keep the pole position. Max Verstappen set pole position number 36 of his career, the fourth of the season. For the World Champion it is the third front row at the Japanese Grand Prix. For Red Bull Racing it is front row number 99, the fourth consecutive this season, and the eighth at this track, of which the last three consecutive. Perez is second, for the eleventh front row of his career. The Mexican has not been on the front row since the 2023 Miami Grand Prix because of a penalty for Verstappen. Perez is among the first three drivers qualified for the first time in twelve races at Suzuka. Norris is third for the second consecutive edition of the race, and in the same starting position as the previous Australian Grand Prix.
Sainz Jr. is fourth and won the race on the last two occasions when he did better than his teammate in qualifying. The fourth position is the lowest starting one for the Spaniard this season. Alonso is fifth and that is the best starting position at Suzuka in the last 10 championships. Piastri is P6, even if his time in Q3 was 0"698 seconds slower than last year, when he started from the front row. Hamilton conquered P7, his best qualifying of the season, and he is starting from the same position for the second consecutive edition of the race. Leclerc is eighth, his worst start at Suzuka as a Ferrari driver. The Monegasque had always qualified between the first four drivers at every race of the championship until this race. Russell’s ninth position is his worst result in qualifying this season. Tsunoda reached Q3 for the third race in a row, but also the second row at his home Grand Prix. The last time that the Japanese obtained three appearances in Q3 in a row was at the last three races in 2021. The eleventh position is the best start of the season for Ricciardo, the same starting position when he raced for the first time in Japan in 2022. For Hülkenberg the twelfth place is the best starting position at Suzuka since 2017. Bottas is P13, same as the Australian Grand Prix and the best start of the season for Sauber. Albon is fourteenth for his worst start of the year, while Ocon P15. The French driver is not eliminated in Q1 for the second following race, while his teammate Gasly has been eliminated in Q1 at all the qualifying sessions this season. Stroll is eliminated in Q1 for the third consecutive edition, while Magnussen for the first time di season. Sargeant did not manage to get into Q2 this season, while Zhou is the slowest driver in qualifying for the third consecutive race. At the end of qualifying, Oscar Piastri and George Russell are summoned by the stewards because the British driver left his garage when the Australian was arriving in the pit lane during Q1. Mercedes is sanctioned 5.000 Euros from the Federation. After what happened in Australia, perhaps some fans would have hoped to see Scuderia Ferrari closer to Red Bull Racing. And, instead, despite the balancing issues encountered by Max Verstappen during free practice, the Anglo-Austrian team also dominated the qualifying session in Suzuka. And Max Verstappen has obtained another perfect result in Japan:
"Overall, in qualifying the laps were very nice and it was a great result for the team. In the last lap I tried to push a bit more and I was gaining quite nicely in sector one, but ran out of tyres at the end so lost a bit of time which was a shame. We have to work on our long runs as we have not been fully happy with these and still feel like we can work to control the balance of the car a bit more. It wasn’t perfect, but to still be on pole on a lap that I felt like could have been better, is great. We made some good changes within the car and I really enjoyed sector one; around here it is really fun to drive and the car is improving every year, especially in the high speed. All in all, the Team has a front row start which is a perfect start to the race tomorrow, but I expect it to be very competitive. It is great to be here, the support is always amazing and hopefully we can give the fans a good race".
Sergio Perez is satisfied of the progress made:
"We have had a good weekend so far and made some really nice progress in qualifying today. Unfortunately, in the end we couldn’t get everything together for the final lap, I didn’t get a nice exit into my lap and that was probably enough to miss pole today. I think generally we are in a better position with the car, if you remember last year here, we were seven tenths off Max and it was probably the hardest circuit in terms of balance, this season things are looking a lot different and the confidence is coming back. Having a nice balance around Suzuka doesn’t compare to anything else in the world, today was very enjoyable. Max and I have been on par all weekend, I think we will be close tomorrow and we have everything to fight for".
Christian Horner, Red Bull’s CEO and Team Principal, is really pleased about both cars starting from the front row:
"A brilliant qualifying today from both drivers. That’s our 27th front row lock out and Checo’s finest performance in qualifying here, improving his previous best of P4. Of course there are still things that we will look to improve on for tomorrow but it was another stunning lap from Max and we are really pleased to have both the cars on the front row. I think the race will be a little closer but today puts us in a great position to race well as we look to carry this pace into Sunday".
No doubt a different performance was expected from the Scuderia Ferrari. However, the qualifying results were not satisfactory. While working in anticipation of the race, Red Bull Racing seems unreachable for now. Also because, although they showed good race pace, overtaking is difficult at Suzuka. Carlos Sainz Jr. thinks that the team has still some things to fix:
"I'm happy with my qualifying and with the lap in Q3, as I think we maximised our potential today. We knew since FP3 that this weekend we were lacking a bit over one lap, but starting P4 leaves us in a good position to fight tomorrow. We’ve made good steps in terms of race pace and I hope we will be able to exploit it during the race and fight for a podium position. Let's go".
And of course Charles Leclerc is not satisfied of today's performance:
"I’m not happy with our qualifying today. The feeling in the car was quite good, but the pace was just not there, so we will look at the data and assess what exactly this was down to. Our car is slightly stronger in race pace than qualifying pace this year, however, it is quite difficult to overtake on this track, so we will aim for a good start and take any opportunity to fight our way back to the front in the race".
Frédéric Vasseur, Ferrari Team Principal, explains the situation at the Ferrari box:
"Overall, the qualifying result was not so good. It went reasonably well for Carlos, but Charles paid the price for having to use two sets of Softs to get through to Q2. But if we now focus on tomorrow, we know our race pace is okay with both our drivers and I believe we can be in the running, make up some places and bring home a good result. Both Carlos and Charles will need to have a good first lap so that they can run in free air, without getting stuck in traffic, given that overtaking at Suzuka is really difficult, especially as there is only one DRS zone".
Those, on the other hand, who have gone beyond all expectations are the McLaren team. The papaya cars are very fast in the first sector, where they can use an excellent chassis to their advantage. The question remains as to what they will be able to do in the race, but for now the team celebrates the excellent qualifying result. Lando Norris is very happy about this Saturday:
"I'm very happy with today, we had a competitive car, and I could fight in Qualifying with good laps, especially in Q3. It's always enjoyable to come here in front of the fans and I'm pleased to have secured P3 on the grid going into tomorrow's race. We've had a good car all weekend and taken steps forward which is pleasing. We're working hard and that hard work is gradually paying off. Today's a good start to the weekend but tomorrow's where we have the opportunity to score strong points as a team".
Oscar Piastri looks forward to the race:
"P6 in quali, I just didn't quite have it from Q2 onwards, struggling to find the rhythm which is frustrating. I've got a couple of areas to focus on overnight with my engineers, but it seems very tight out there. Tomorrow's a good opportunity for me to improve and secure points in the race".
Andrea Stella, McLaren’s Team Principal, concludes:
"It was a positive Qualifying session for the team. P3 and P6 today puts us in position to score good points tomorrow. It's also gratifying to see we are the second-best team behind Red Bull - albeit with the caveat that we know this track suits the characteristics of our car and it's only qualifying conditions. Praise goes to both Lando and Oscar for putting together good laps in Q1 and Q2, enabling them to progress through those sessions on only one set of tyres each, keeping two new sets for Q3. The drivers and the whole team have done a good job so far. We now have to prepare well and capitalise on today with a strong race result tomorrow".
Even the Aston Martin team is celebrating an unexpected result, achieved by two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso. While Lance Stroll did not manage to go beyond the 16th best time, the Spanish driver instead managed to place fifth. Fernando Alonso is overall satisfied with his performance:
"I am very happy with fifth position today. It's always a very special experience Qualifying in Suzuka, with the low fuel loads and fresh tyres and everything felt good in the car today. Perhaps it's a little unexpected to be as competitive as we were. Looking back at last year, we were over one-second from pole position in Suzuka and now we are only four tenths away, so it seems we are going in the right direction. It's too soon to say whether our updates have made a significant difference, but we'll look at all the data we have. We have usually been faster in Qualifying compared to the Race, so let's see what happens on Sunday".
Despite a really imposing and important gap from the performance of Max Verstappen's Red Bull, Lewis Hamilton seems to be happy with the qualifying result. Of course, for a driver like the seven-time World Champion, a seventh place can hardly be exhilarating. But given the situation, right now it seems to be a step up from the last few races:
"Qualifying was generally a really good session. I think we've made some good improvements to the car and its balance so far this weekend. I was overall much happier in the car than I have been this year, although there are clear areas of improvement. We have taken steps in the right direction though. When we raced here just six months ago, we were over one second adrift and we've closed that gap to the front a little, and to our nearest competitors. Of course I was hoping for more and we are never going to be happy with P7, but we know our car is a work in progress. Tomorrow's race will be all about tyre degradation. Our long run pace looked similar to others on Friday, so we will see if that is the case on Sunday. I think it will be very close tomorrow so I hope we can maximise all the various factors and take home some good points".
The same happiness certainly cannot be expressed by George Russell, who only managed to qualify in P9:
"It was so tight out there between ourselves, the McLarens, the Ferraris, and the Aston Martins. After FP3, we knew there would only be one tenth or two between all those cars and so it was. If you didn't do a great lap you would end up P9 and that is what happened to me today. I made a mistake on my final lap; it's a little bit disappointing but that is how it goes sometimes. It isn't the most difficult race to overtake at, and with tyre degradation and different strategies, hopefully we can move forward tomorrow. A lot can certainly happen. We've started this season with several high-speed circuits. We know that is where our weakness is with this car, and we knew this weekend wouldn't be our best. It is good that we are exposing these weaknesses as it gives us the understanding of the platform we are building on and adding performance to. It sets a clear direction for us to improve".
Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ Team Principal & CEO, still says that the team is trying to understand the car:
"The headline result of P7 and P9 is not great. The positive though is that we are not too far off the second row, just one tenth or so, at a track that was one of, if not the worst, last year. We seem to have taken a step in the right direction with the car this weekend. Everyone is pushing so hard to understand more about the W15 and how we can build on the platform we have. To see progress is therefore encouraging. It is difficult to predict what tomorrow's race will look like. The pack behind Red Bull is very tight so we will see what we can do. The long run data from Friday, and today's qualifying session, shows that it could be close. We will look to maximise everything we do and the package we have to score the best result possible".
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director, adds:
"We headed to Japan focused on trying to make the car more consistent and drivable over the weekend. Pleasingly, it looks like we've made some progress in that regard. We'd be a lot happier of course if we were a tenth quicker. That would have put us several positions higher up on the grid. The reality at the moment though is we are the wrong side of a tight bunch of cars and need to find some more performance. Despite that, we have halved our gap to pole position from last year and can also be encouraged by the fact that even small steps forward will move us up the grid. The red flag and rain yesterday have meant we're short of long run data, but this is a race where you can move forward if you have good pace. We will be looking to make the most of the car we have, execute our strategy well, and hopefully can finish higher up than where we are starting".
In conclusion Mario Isola, Pirelli Motorsport Director, as always analyses the cars’ behaviour during qualifying:
"At what is one of the most demanding tracks for drivers and cars, we witnessed Verstappen and Red Bull dominate qualifying and for the first time in over a year, both the team's drivers are on the front row. Therefore, there's a clear favourite for tomorrow, but there are still plenty of unknown factors at play, starting with strategy. Despite it being considerably cooler than for last year's race, degradation is still particularly significant and therefore, a two-stop is still the quickest choice. It's a different story when it comes to the permutations between the available compounds, especially as the Soft, which was effectively a non-starter last year, could be a genuine option tomorrow, particularly in the first stint, for those looking to have a performance edge in the opening laps. Another consideration is that overtaking is anything but easy on this track and, as we have seen so far this season, the current generation of cars increasingly suffers from instability when closing on another car, making it even more complicated to pass, even with a big speed advantage. The undercut - stopping early to make the most of tyre performance in the first few laps - is very efficient here and will definitely be a factor. The quickest strategy is based on using the Soft and the Hard, but some teams, such as Ferrari, Red Bull and Aston Martin as well as Magnussen, who only have one set of the C1 available, will have to try something else. They could opt to discard the C3 in favour of the C2, which proved to be competitive in free practice, or they could use all three compounds. It all adds up to what should be an interesting race from start to finish".
On Sunday, April 7, 2024, everyone is ready for the Japanese Grand Prix. At the start, Verstappen keeps the lead, followed by Perez. However, the race is immediately interrupted, with a reg flag, due to an accident involving Alexander Albon and Daniel Ricciardo. The two cars made contact and hit the barriers. Fortunately, both drivers come out of their vehicles with no injuries. The race direction has to restore the barriers damaged by the cars and for this the new start is delayed. The race restarts from the starting grid and not behind a safety car. The Red Bull Racing pair is still at the command, followed by Norris, Sainz Jr., Alonso, Piastri and Hamilton. The Brit is soon overtaken by Leclerc. Perez, due to a little mistake at Turn 9, loses two seconds from the race leader. It seems that the medium tyres do not have good durability and for this Norris is forced to pit on lap 12 already; on the following lap, the other McLaren’s driver too, Piastri, switches to hards. On the same lap there is a change of position between the two Mercedes, with Russell, the fastest, passing Hamilton. On lap 16, Perez and Sainz Jr. pit, and on lap 17, Verstappen. Charles Leclerc is the leader now. Sainz Jr. passes Hamilton for P6. Leclerc maintains the lead until lap 21. On the following lap, Sainz Jr. overtakes the other Mercedes driver, Russell. The two German cars pit between lap 23 and 24. Leclerc, after a driving mistake, is also passed by Sergio Perez.
The Monegasque waits until lap 27 to change his tyres; his choice is the same as that of Lando Norris. In the ranking, the leader is Verstappen, ahead of Perez by 10.3s, Sainz Jr. by 23.3s, Alonso by 27s, Piastri by 33.4s. There are then Leclerc and Norris. The Monegasque gains a position when, on lap 33, Piastri stops for the second time. Perez and Alonso pit on the following lap, while Max Verstappen on lap 35. On the same lap, Perez retakes the position from Norris. The Ferrari Spaniard remains in the lead until his second pit, which is programmed after 37 laps. Verstappen is leading by 7.5s over Perez, 10.5s over Leclerc, 12.7s over Norris. There are then the two Mercedes, Sainz Jr. and Alonso. The two Mercedes pit between lap 38 and 40. Between laps 44 and 46, Carlos Sainz Jr. overtakes Norris, then Leclerc. The Spaniard also sets the fastest lap, which will then be taken away by Verstappen on lap 50, and manages to reduce the gap from Perez. Norris gets close to Leclerc, who pitted only once, while, further behind, there is a contact between Russell and Piastri, fighting for P7. The two get closer also to Fernando Alonso, P6. On the last lap, George Russell passes Piastri. Max Verstappen won Grand Prix number 57 of his career, the third victory of the season, the first since the one at the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. For the three-times World Champion, this is the third triumph at the Japanese Grand Prix:
"Today was simply lovely and I really enjoyed the race. We stayed out of trouble in the first lap and from there we tried to look after the tyres as much as possible. We made the right calls before we went into qualifying, which definitely helped today, and it’s very nice to come back and win after Australia. The car just got better throughout the race and although it took a few laps before I got a nice rhythm, on the second stint the car really came alive. I could push where I needed to and I could look after my tyres well, so the race went really nicely. It was a great team result the whole weekend and brilliant to score a one-two here: our third of the season. Suzuka is always a great track to go racing at and overall I’m really happy about the performance today".
For Red Bull Racing it is the third victory of the season, the first since the Saudi Arabian one, the seventh consecutive victory at this track, and victory number 116 in their history. The Austrian manufacturer sets the third one-two of the season, the first since that of Jeddah, and the number 31 in their history. Perez, second, with his third podium of the season, finishes in this position behind Verstappen for the second time in the last three Japanese Grands Prix after the 2022 edition. The Mexican obtains again the second position in the standings, overtaking Leclerc:
"It was a good day for the team. We had good pace today, we just struggled with the degradation initially and didn’t get enough out of the medium due to the balance and track temperature. We suffered a little on the first stint, it compromised our race a little too much and with Lando pitting early. The second stint was better, but we had to get through a lot of traffic and that made our life a lot harder".
So he adds:
"On the hard we were back to our best, but things were a little out of sync by then. What is positive and an improvement is that when we have issues like on the first stint, we are able to solve them during the race, which is something we lacked last year. We’re in a good place and performing at a very nice level, we just need to keep progressing. My confidence is coming back and the momentum should be with me for the coming races, if I’m able to have such a consistent weekend in Suzuka it can only be positive moving forward".
Carlos Sainz Jr., third in this Grand Prix, has the net percentage of podiums from any starting position this season. The Spaniard gets the third podium of the championship after not having won in the first thirteen races of last season:
"It was a good day for the whole team. We executed a very solid race and brought home a lot of points, maximising the potential of our package. A strong start kept me in a good position and from there onwards we managed it perfectly with very strong pace on both compounds and good overtakes to make the strategy work. We obviously want to fight a bit further up, but if we keep pushing like this, I’m sure we will have more opportunities. Now it’s back to the factory with the team and from tomorrow we’ll start preparing for China".
Leclerc, fourth for the second consecutive edition of this race, has not concluded beyond this position in any race held so far in the season:
"Looking just at today’s race, I’m quite happy, because there is nothing that we could have done better. Our pace, tyre management, communication and strategy were all really good. However, what prevented us from getting a better overall result mostly comes down to our qualifying yesterday. Since Australia, we’ve had some difficulties putting the tyres in the right window on the out laps in qualifying, which is something we never struggled with before, so we really have to focus on that in the next few days to make sure we can put it all together in China".
Frédéric Vasseur, Ferrari’s Team Principal, has nothing but good words for his team:
"Today, our team worked in a calm and focused manner to achieve its goals. We made a real step forward over the winter and the results of that can be seen on track. We had a very solid Sunday, securing the best result possible after a difficult qualifying yesterday and that’s something we definitely have to work on. The team did everything perfectly in the race, from strategy to tyre management. Both drivers did an excellent job in managing their respective strategies. With Carlos starting nearer the front we could be more aggressive so that he finished on a charge, pulling off several great passing moves. We were a bit more limited with Charles, as he was down in eighth on the grid, but he drove an excellent first stint and so we were able to execute a one-stop strategy that meant he made up a lot of places. Looking at the result, it’s clear there is still room for improvement if we want to put Red Bull under pressure and that’s what we’d like to do as from the next round in China".
Norris finishes P5 with McLaren, more than 10 seconds off Verstappen compared to last year, when he finished second. The Brit takes the fifth position in the general ranking to the detriment of the teammate Piastri:
"Tough race! We gave it a good try, but we just didn't have enough pace today, so trying to cover and stay ahead of the Ferraris was challenging. I think we still did a good job and maximised the points but starting third and finishing fifth is never the nicest thing to happen. It's the maximum of what we could achieve today though, so I think we have to be happy with it as much as it doesn't feel like a great result".
Oscar Piastri, eighth, got two fourth places and two eighth places this season:
"It was a difficult afternoon. Things didn't quite click into place and we weren't fighting for the positions we wanted to. However, it's four points finishes on the bounce this year and there's plenty to take away and try to learn from. We'll go back to the factory and turn our attention to China where we'll look to secure more valuable points for the team".
Andrea Stella, McLaren’s Team Principal, declares:
"Overall, it's a positive outcome to the race here in Suzuka in terms of scoring valuable points with both cars. Obviously after a strong qualifying, we could have hoped to try to consolidate a podium finish, but it wasn't on the cards, in terms of car performance today. I think, if we look at the classification, at least for the first five, it's in competitiveness order. We tried to go for a podium with Lando, stopping early, making sure we stayed ahead of Carlos, but ultimately, we didn't have the pace. It also meant that we found ourselves on a slightly slower strategy and we finished behind Leclerc. But we are happy that we are pushing for podium finishes even if today it was out of our reach. On Oscar's side, it was a busy race for him, always in direct competition with some cars around him. It was a little bit of a shame with the final lock-up at the chicane, which cost him the position to Russell, but it was important points for the team today, which consolidates the third position in the Championship. Now we refocus and we look ahead to China".
The sixth position is the best result for Alonso in the Japanese race since its 2013 edition:
"It was a great weekend for me with fifth position in Qualifying yesterday and sixth place in the race. It was one of my best for a while".
And the spaniard driver adds:
"I think we slightly outperformed our true position here this weekend, but we are executing our races very well this season and scoring good points for the team. Our plan for today worked well and a special thanks for the pitstops which were very impressive, so credit to all of the team for that. We still need to analyse our update package, so we'll have a look at all our data from this weekend in Japan ahead of our return to Shanghai".
The unhappy moment for Mercedes continues. After recent disappointing results, the situation did not change at Suzuka either and George Russell is seventh for the fifth time in a row:
"We moved forward today and that was positive. The plan to start on the Hard tyre after the red flag was to give us the flexibility to attempt either a one-stop or a two-stop. It was good to have this freedom and ultimately, we ended up on the two-stop strategy as the one stop wasn't working. We had a challenging opening stint but after that first stop, our pace looked competitive compared to those ahead. It was an exciting race towards the end. It's always nice to be attacking rather than defending, and it was good, hard racing. There was some contact with Oscar, which was a racing incident, but I was glad to get the position in the end. It's close between the four teams behind Red Bull and qualifying is going to be critical at each race. Whoever starts ahead will likely finish at the front of that pack. We know we've got work to do and we will keep pushing. Hopefully a track like the one in China will suit us better".
Lewis Hamilton, ninth, has finished for the first time outside the first five places at Suzuka since 2014:
"It was a difficult day today. I did my best, but the result wasn't a good one. Unfortunately, that is where our car is at the moment. I didn't feel great on the Hard tyre and picked up a little bit of damage on the restart. I had lots of understeer, particularly during that first stint, which was why I decided to let George pass. Once we put on the Medium compound, it started to feel a little better. The final stint was the first time in the race that I felt like I had good grip. We need to keep working hard as today, our pace was likely only good enough for P6. If we want to move up the grid, then we will need to add more performance to the car".
Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ Team Principal & CEO, describes this race as not one of the easiest since the start of this season:
"It was a difficult race today. Our second and third stints were quick and were similar to those ahead who were fighting for the podium. A poor first stint cost us today though and we need to find out why that was. Our decision to take the restart on the Hard tyres was the right one I feel, and, in the beginning, our pace was stable with our direct competitors. We suddenly dropped one to two seconds a lap though and at the moment, it was clear that the tyres wouldn't make the one-stop viable for us. Overall, this weekend has been better than the final results suggest. We have lots to learn and there is no track relevant excuse we will use; we need to be quick at all circuits. But from what we've seen here, we can say that the car is becoming quicker. We will continue to work hard, and I am excited to head back to China in a few weeks after such a long absence from the calendar".
Andrew Shovlin, Mercedes’ Trackside Engineering Director, agrees with the TP:
"It wasn't an easy race today. We weren't quick enough in qualifying so we were starting too far back to challenge for the podium. Early in the race, our pace was simply not good enough too".
So he adds:
"We'd decided to start with the Hard tyre after the red flag as we felt there wasn't much threat from behind, and it was our best way to offset and try something different. Towards the end of that stint we were really struggling with low grip. We couldn't stop early as there was too much traffic in the window, so we stayed out until we had cleared it. Unfortunately by then, we had lost a chunk of time. The second and third stints were more encouraging, but we'd lost too much time by that point to get back into the mix. We know that we are not quick enough at the moment, so we will continue to work hard to improve that. Despite the challenging result, it has been a useful weekend to learn more about our car and develop our understanding of the W15".
With his P10, Yuki Tsunoda is the fifth Japanese driver in history to finish in the points at his home Grand Prix after Aguri Suzuki, Satoru Nakajima, Takuma Sato and Kamui Kobayashi, and the first since the 2012 edition. Nico Hülkenberg is eleventh, not in the points by one position for the fifth race in a row. Valtteri Bottas, P14, equals his best performance of the season since the previous Australian Grand Prix. Alex Albon retired on the first lap; two of the four retirements of the Thai driver’s career during the first lap happened during this race, the other was during the 2022 edition. Finally, Mario Isola, Pirelli Motorsport Director, as always, analyses the race and the strategies put into place by the teams:
"I think once again today, Formula 1 proved to be a very spectacular form of racing. On one of the most demanding tracks for drivers and cars, we witnessed a race with plenty of overtaking, where a variety of strategies were brought into play, thanks in part to all three compounds we chose for this round being up to the task. This allowed drivers to choose from different options, both in terms of switching compounds and in when to make the pit stops. While it's true that, once again, Red Bull and Max Verstappen had the edge which allowed them to secure the win with relative ease, behind them there were some great battles, not just on track but also between the teams on the pit wall. Today, was the hottest day of the weekend, with a track temperature at the start of 40 °C which then dropped to 32 °C and so thermal degradation was significant and those who did the best job of managing it were able to make up various places from where they started: here I'm thinking chiefly of Leclerc who drove an exceptional race in this respect, because his one and only stop saw him go from eighth to fourth. The undercut proved to be very effective, but it's a fact that those who stopped too early were then at a disadvantage in the closing stages of each stint. All these variables created performance differences that facilitated overtaking, which was great for the spectators. Indeed, the fans that packed out Suzuka all weekend-long really added to the show and it was great to see them able to celebrate a tenth place finish for local hero Yuki Tsunoda".
Max Verstappen is the second driver in history with three consecutive victories at the Japanese Grand Prix after Michael Schumacher with his triumphs between 2000 and 2002. For the Dutchman, this is the third hat trick (pole position, fastest lap and victory), after the Bahrain Grand Prix, of his Formula 1 career. The world champion wins for the 30th time of his career after starting from pole position, and becomes the fourth driver in history to reach 3000 laps in the lead, after Hamilton, Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel. The championship leader gets his 101st podium, overtaking Kimi Räikkönen, becoming the sixth of all time. Verstappen’s victory arrives ten years after his first appearance in a race weekend of the top category at the 2014 edition, during a free practice session with the former team Toro Rosso. Red Bull Racing, at their 270th podium, equals the number of Ferrari successes in this event, with seven, and scores the fourth one-two in the Japanese race after those obtained in 2010, 2013 and 2022. The constructor from Milton Keynes equals both Ferrari and McLaren with seven victories at the Suzuka circuit, and with 31 one-twos is overtaking Williams for the fourth place in history. The Red Bull Racing’s mechanics establish the seasonal pit stop record during Verstappen’s pit stop, with a 2.08s. The previous record already belonged to the Austrian team for 2.10s pit stop of at the previous Australian Grand Prix.
It was the fourth slowest Japanese Grand Prix on the race distance time between the two locations of Suzuka and Fuji, between all the configurations used for both circuits, run at an average of 161.271 km/h, but also the first Grand Prix interrupted with a red flag since that of São Paulo of the previous championship, and the fourth overall with red flags after the 1994, 2014 and 2022 editions. It was also the fifth consecutive Japanese Grand Prix where the margin of the winning driver from the second place was more than ten seconds. The podium is the same as that of the Bahrain Grand Prix, first race of the season. In the last eleventh editions of the race, the victories have been conquered only by Mercedes and Red Bull Racing. It was the fourth race of the championship with a one-two finish for a constructor. No season before this had ever started with four consecutive one-twos which involved different constructors, three for Red Bull Racing and one for Ferrari. Three of the four races of this championship only saw a Red Bull Racing’s one-two with Ferrari classified third. Now, everyone moves to China for the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix, which will be held on Sunday, April 21, 2024.