Max Verstappen, from Red Bull Racing RB20, took the lead early in the race. This happened on April 7, 2024, during the Japanese Grand Prix, which is part of the Formula 1 World Championship.
Verstappen made an impressive comeback after retiring in Australia. He showed his dominance by securing a Formula 1 victory at the Japanese Grand Prix.
During the race, Verstappen held onto his pole position and secured his third win of the season. Japanese fans were thrilled with Yuki Tsunoda’s top-ten finish.
However, not all drivers had a smooth weekend, and some are hoping for a change in luck when they compete in Shanghai.
Verstappen’s performance in Japan was exceptional, especially after his early retirement in Australia. He demonstrated his skill and determination throughout the weekend in Suzuka. He secured the pole position and, despite strong competition from his teammate Sergio Perez, emerged as the winner. Verstappen’s flawless starts and his ability to maintain a comfortable lead allowed him to extend his margin of victory.
Perez, who had a challenging qualifying session, showed significant improvement in Suzuka. Although he narrowly missed out on pole position, he was unable to catch Verstappen during the race. Nevertheless, Perez’s performance was a big improvement compared to his previous showing in Suzuka.
Carlos Sainz, winner of the Australian Grand Prix, once again proved to be the strongest driver among the Ferrari duo. Despite the SF-24 not being able to keep up with the performance of the RB20 in Suzuka, Sainz managed to secure a third place by taking advantage of his better tires. In the final part of the race, he easily overtook Lando Norris and was then allowed to pass his teammate Leclerc, securing a spot on the podium.
Leclerc’s performance in the Japanese Grand Prix was hindered by his struggles with the Pirelli tires during qualifying. Starting from P8, he had to rely on his good race pace and a well-executed one-stop strategy. However, this strategy left him vulnerable to Sainz, who had a tire advantage. Ferrari instructed Leclerc to let Sainz pass, but he still managed to turn a poor qualifying into a commendable fourth place.
Lando Norris showcased exceptional driving skills by securing a notable starting position in P3, despite his car not being as competitive. However, this meant he had to defend against faster opponents throughout the race. McLaren hoped that a two-stop strategy could help Norris fight for a podium spot, but the disadvantage of worn tires in the final stages dashed those hopes. Nevertheless, Norris fought bravely and kept the Ferraris within reach.
Oscar Piastri, who stepped on the podium in Japan the previous year, was unable to replicate his success in the 2024 event. Despite qualifying in sixth place, the Australian driver was three tenths slower than his teammate Norris throughout the weekend, and never posed a real threat to him. During the race, Piastri lost position to Leclerc’s Ferrari, but put up a strong defense against George Russell. Unfortunately, a mistake in the chicane on the penultimate lap allowed Russell’s Mercedes to overtake him, resulting in an eighth place finish.
Qualifying in fifth place, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso showcased his exceptional skills in the Aston Martin AMR24 to secure a commendable sixth place in the Grand Prix. Throughout the race, he consistently outperformed his teammate Lance Stroll and used his extensive Formula 1 experience to stay within DRS range of Piastri, hoping to fend off Russell’s attack.
Lance Stroll, who qualified in sixteenth place, faced a disappointing exit in Q1, with a significant eight tenths gap to Alonso. Despite a weak performance in Suzuka, Stroll managed to progress during the race and climbed up to twelfth position. However, his increasing deficit compared to his teammate continues to hinder Aston Martin’s position in the Constructors’ Championship. If Stroll had delivered better performances, the team could have secured fourth place instead of trailing Mercedes by just one point.
George Russell, who qualified behind Lewis Hamilton, had a smoother race experience. Hamilton kindly allowed Russell to pass him at the beginning of the race, enabling Russell to chase Piastri towards the end. Although there was slight contact between the two drivers, Russell eventually forced Piastri to make a mistake in the final chicane, securing seventh place on the penultimate lap.
Hamilton, who outqualified Russell, struggled with race pace in the W15. The seven-time drivers’ champion faced understeer issues and made slight contact with Leclerc early in the race. He then allowed Russell to pass him to chase the McLarens ahead. It is becoming increasingly evident that Mercedes and Hamilton have a challenging season ahead.
Yuki Tsunoda delivered an exciting performance in front of his home crowd, earning valuable points. Although he dropped to twelfth position early on due to other drivers with softer tires having a better start, Tsunoda executed a series of bold overtakes in the esses, fueled by the support of his fans. It was an impressive display, especially considering Daniel Ricciardo’s struggles throughout the weekend.
Daniel Ricciardo had a promising start to the weekend, nearly securing a spot in Q3 by just half a tenth. However, his race took a turn for the worse when he was involved in a collision on the first lap with Alex Albon at Turn 2, resulting in a red flag. While Ricciardo may not be solely responsible for the incident, his careless return to the racing line and lack of awareness during the opening lap certainly contributed to the crash. This incident only adds to the uncertainty surrounding Ricciardo’s future in the sport.
Nico Hulkenberg had another impressive performance in qualifying at Suzuka, securing 12th place on the grid. However, his chances of finishing in the top ten were ruined when he had an anti-stall issue during the second launch. Despite this setback, Hulkenberg and Haas managed to salvage a respectable 11th place after an early pit stop.
At the Japanese Grand Prix, Haas opted for different strategies for their drivers, which proved costly for Kevin Magnussen. The Danish driver failed to advance to Q2 and had to fight to move up the field, only to lose positions due to the team’s strategy. However, finishing in a better position than his qualifying, as Hulkenberg did, shows promise for Haas.
The struggles of Sauber with pace and procedures have been evident in 2024, making Valtteri Bottas’ second consecutive appearance in Q2 a reason for optimism. Bottas had a good start before the race was interrupted by a red flag, putting him in contention for points after the restart. However, deficiencies in Sauber’s pit stops proved costly for Bottas, and during the second round of stops, a five-second delay in tire change ruined his chances of scoring.
Zhou Guanyu had a disappointing qualifying session, starting from the last position on the grid and seven positions behind his teammate Bottas. Unfortunately, progress was not in Guanyu’s plans, as a gearbox issue forced him to retire early from the race. Now he faces the challenge of regaining his form for his home race in Shanghai.
Ranked 15th and finishing the race in the same position, Esteban Ocon achieved a small victory by getting the problematic Alpine out of the first qualifying session. However, his performance in Sunday’s race showed that Alpine has a lot of work to do, as he struggled to fight against his midfield rivals in Suzuka.
Pierre Gasly, on the other hand, had a harder time dealing with the challenges of the Alpine. Despite not being able to advance to Q2, Gasly had a good start in the race restart. Unfortunately, he ended up in a tight space between Tsunoda and Ocon, resulting in contact with his teammate. This incident caused damage to Gasly’s car floor, hindering his progress and costing 33 points of downforce. It was another disappointing afternoon in a disastrous 2024 campaign for him.
In Japan, Logan Sargeant’s performance justified Williams’ decision to withdraw him from the Australian GP. From the start, Sargeant showed his typical inconsistencies, crashing in FP1 at Turn 7 of the Suzuka circuit. Despite recovering well and finishing less than two tenths behind Alex Albon in qualifying, he had to settle for 19th on the grid. Unfortunately, his chances of improving in the race were hindered by a lack of judgment, causing him to run off track at Degner 2. After a brief stint in the gravel, he ended up finishing last in the race.
Alex Albon, surpassing his teammate Sargeant, qualified his Williams in 14th place and managed to avoid elimination in Q1. However, his good start with soft tires was interrupted when he found himself on the outside of Ricciardo going into Turn 3. A maneuver by the Australian driver caused Albon to hit the barriers, ending his race and requiring repairs to his chassis.
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