Athletistic will broadcast a live online text broadcast: Formula 1. Japanese Grand Prix. Qualification. Direct
Max Verstappen is again looking to win the championship and on a circuit that should suit Red Bull better than last week, he could win on Sunday.
There’s been a lot of buzz this week around alleged spending cap breaches by Red Bull and Aston Martin, although the FIA won’t publish its findings until next week.
As for discussions exclusively on the track, Max Verstappen is getting closer to the championship. Only his Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc can prevent Max from winning his second world title, but that’s just theory. In training, Max should win, and even tomorrow.
The road to victory is much clearer than last week, with a victory at Suzuka allowing Verstappen to claim the title if Leclerc finishes below second place. If Verstappen also sets the fastest lap and wins the race, he will win the championship no matter what Leclerc or Pérez do.
There are a number of other race-related options if Verstappen finishes lower, but he basically needs to be eight points ahead of Leclerc and six points ahead of Pérez.
As for the rest of the entries, McLaren will be encouraged by its excellent result (4th and 5th) in Singapore and will try to break away from its Alpine rivals in this race. The absence of hard braking zones should help McLaren.
Mercedes now have an unbeaten streak at Suzuka since 2014 and the nature of the circuit will be seen as favorable to Lewis Hamilton and George Russell – the latter looking to bounce back from the worst race of the season in Singapore.
The Aston Martin of Lance Stroll and Sebastian Vettel scored 12 last week, their high downforce wing could help them perform well again.
Teams such as Alpine, Williams, AlphaTauri and Alfa Romeo will also be looking to improve on Singapore, with Alpine appearing preferable as their car is better able to handle the higher downforce required. The same goes for the Haas team.
Pirelli have announced that C1, C2 and C3 tires will be available this weekend, but as intermittent rain is expected, intermediate and wet tires will also be on hold.
The C1, C2 and C3 compounds are the most durable tires in the line, and that’s understandable since Suzuka is a demanding track that wears them down a lot. Teams can expect a race with two pit stops, or even three, depending on their strategy.
Finally, the weather promises to be somewhat capricious for this weekend, with a rainy practice session on Friday, a dry and cloudy qualifying session followed by a race day with promises of sun and rain.
Formula 1. Japanese Grand Prix. Qualification. Direct
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I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
