Charles Leclerc, from Ferrari, will start the Japanese Grand Prix in eighth position, much to the relief of Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko. Leclerc struggled with pace during qualifying, ending up behind his teammate Carlos Sainz, who finished in fourth place. Ferrari’s decision to overhaul the car concept to address previous race pace concerns has hindered their ability to perform well in a single lap. However, their long runs during practice sessions have shown promise. Despite concerns from Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez about Red Bull’s race simulations, Marko is less worried now due to the challenging nature of the Suzuka circuit for overtaking and the increased turbulence behind other cars. McLaren and Ferrari remain strong contenders, and Leclerc’s starting position is a relief for Red Bull. Sainz dismisses the idea that Ferrari is surprised by the gap to Verstappen, as Red Bull tends to hold back during practice. Sainz believes Ferrari intentionally looks slower on Fridays to deceive their competitors, as their strength lies in their performance on Sundays. Although Ferrari may be a bit closer in pace, Sainz does not expect a significant improvement tomorrow.
