Formula 1 lessons from Suzuka
Frustrated Verstappen hunter gives up after 4 of 24 races
April 8, 2024, 6:10 a.m
With his third victory in the fourth race, Max Verstappen is heading inexorably towards his fourth Formula 1 title. The competition is disillusioned, Mercedes is waving the white flag. Ferrari is establishing itself as number two, while Williams has a lot of repairs to do. The lessons learned from the Japanese Grand Prix.
Only Verstappen can defeat Verstappen
The world champion’s ride in Suzuka once again left the competition amazed, the Red Bull star can once again only beat himself. Or be stopped by technology, like in Australia. But even before the fifth race of the season in two weeks in China, the world title seems to have already been awarded to the dominator from the Netherlands.
Verstappen, like Michael Schumacher from 2000 to 2002, won the Japanese Grand Prix for the third year in a row on Sunday and is racing towards his fourth World Cup trophy early in the season. “It couldn’t have been better,” said Verstappen, but didn’t want to be congratulated on successfully defending his title: “It’s still a long season and I want to take it race by race. There are still difficult routes for us. “
Mercedes admits defeat early on
Max Verstappen had just lifted the winner’s trophy into the air with a grin when Mercedes Motorsport Director Toto Wolff gave up the title fight after just four of 24 races. “Nobody will catch up with Max this year. His car is spectacularly good and he drives spectacularly well,” said Wolff: “This season it’s just about who will be the best of the rest.”
Two weeks after his failure in Australia, the 26-year-old Dutchman was once again in his own league and remained unimpressed by internal team power struggles and transfer rumors. “Red Bull is way ahead, then the other teams come,” said the Austrian Wolff. The “Guardian” in England stated: “Max Verstappen ensured business as usual with a confident and safe victory from pole at the Japanese Grand Prix.”
Lewis Hamilton’s frustration is growing
His Mercedes farewell tour is still frustrating for the record world champion; for the third time in the fourth race, Hamilton crossed the finish line behind his teammate George Russell. Both were canceled in Australia. “I did my best, but the result wasn’t good. Unfortunately, that’s where our car is at the moment,” said the 39-year-old, who will replace Carlos Sainz at Ferrari next year, after finishing ninth. But it’s not his fault that the Silver Arrows are far away from the top: “If we want to move forward in the field, we have to find more performance for the car.”
Ferrari is “best of the rest”
Japan has shown that Scuderia is the second force in the premier class behind Red Bull. And Carlos Sainz (third place) is currently driving better than the team’s actual number one, Charles Leclerc (fourth place). The fact that the Spaniard needs a new job for next season and therefore has to prove himself seems to inspire him. But even though Ferrari “fully exploited the potential of our package,” as Sainz said, the Reds had no chance of winning. Can Ferrari still catch up? The 29-year-old didn’t sound particularly confident when he said: “Of course we want to move forward a little further. If we continue like this, I’m sure we’ll have more opportunities.”
Once again pure frustration for the traditional team that once produced world champions. The expensive material is becoming scarce and the financial situation is tense. In Australia only Alexander Albon was able to drive due to an accident, then Logan Sargeant crashed in the first training session in Japan. And the team’s accountant was tearing his hair out. After the first start in Suzuka there was an accident between Albon and Daniel Ricciardo, both of them crashed into the tire wall. That easily results in the next million-dollar loss, meaning there is no money that could be put into the development of the car. “You work so hard to improve the car so early in the season and two accidents ruin it all for you,” said team principal James Vowles.