And while the weather was the reason for holding the Japanese Grand Prix in the spring, the rain insisted on making its presence felt. As a result, the second free practice session was useless, posing a challenge for teams to deal with tire degradation during the race. Typically, this issue is resolved by analyzing data collected in long runs during the second practice session.
Race day brought unexpected sunshine, presenting a new challenge for the teams. At the start of the race, tire degradation was alarmingly high. However, as the clouds approached and the track temperature cooled, the tires began to perform correctly.
In addition to these factors, there were few changes compared to the 2023 race. Max Verstappen secured the win with a similar margin, but this time Sergio Perez clinched second place, with the Ferraris closely following the Red Bulls.
Despite showing promise previously, McLaren was disappointed, while Mercedes faced another tough weekend. Lewis Hamilton, after outqualifying George Russell, was forced to relinquish his position during the race, leaving him in a bad mood.
Here are our key takeaways from the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix.
Following Max Verstappen’s failure to finish and Sergio Perez’s fifth place in the Australian Grand Prix, both Red Bull drivers made a strong comeback in Japan. Verstappen replicated his dominant performance from the previous year, after his disastrous 2023 Singapore Grand Prix. On the other hand, Perez showed a notable improvement compared to his struggles in Suzuka last year.
In the classification, Perez was only 0.066 seconds behind Verstappen’s pole position time. During the race, he showed impressive skills in recovering from an initial setback when he was overtaken by Lando Norris of McLaren due to tire wear issues.
While Verstappen was the only driver to be considered in 2023, he continues to dominate in 2024. However, Perez seems to have made significant progress this year, as he is getting more out of the RB20 car than his predecessor, the RB19. Apart from the race in Australia, Perez has consistently performed well, delivering what Red Bull expects from him.
The RB20 is not only a radically redesigned car for Red Bull, but also a dominant one. Although the team has not yet unlocked its full potential, they may not have the same advantage over their competitors as they did in 2023. However, it is important to note that performance difference will likely increase as Red Bull becomes more familiar with the car and continues its development. Regardless, there is no doubt that Verstappen is a strong contender for his fourth F1 title this year.
With three one-two finishes in four races, the reigning Champions are sending a clear message to their rivals. As mentioned in my previous analysis, we can only hope that Ferrari will challenge Red Bull more frequently in the future.
Once again, Ferrari has shown that they are firmly positioned as the second best team behind Red Bull. Carlos Sainz secured third place, finishing behind the two Red Bull cars, while Charles Leclerc came in fourth.
Sainz had another strong weekend, outperforming Leclerc in both qualifying and the race for the second consecutive week. Leclerc once again struggled on Saturday afternoon, hindering his chances of surpassing Sainz in the standings.
Considering the characteristics of the Suzuka track, one would expect Leclerc to outperform Sainz in qualifying. However, it seems that the Monegasque driver is having difficulties in properly preparing his tires during qualifying. The new Ferrari car, SF-24, seems to perform better as a race car compared to its predecessor, which excelled in qualifying. Consequently, the new car does not generate as much grip on its tires as the old one.
While Sainz managed to understand the behavior of the SF-24 tires, Leclerc admitted that he has not fully grasped it yet. He is committed to focusing on improving this aspect of his driving in the upcoming races, starting with China.
The Ferrari pit wall also had a flawless performance this time, using the superior pace of the car to help Sainz overtake Lando Norris and secure the final podium position. Additionally, they employed a one-stop strategy for Leclerc, who started in eighth on the grid, allowing him to finish in fourth place. Leclerc’s impressive first stint played a crucial role in the success of this strategy.
Although Ferrari has not yet been able to challenge Red Bull in terms of raw speed, they have undoubtedly made significant improvements. Their execution during the race should be a source of pride for the team.
McLaren seemed to have an advantage in the high-speed sector at Suzuka, which suited their MCL38. This was evident in Norris’s impressive third-place qualifying position. However, during the race, the Papaya cars did not have the power needed to maintain Norris’s position. On the other hand, Piastri had a poor performance, qualifying in sixth and finishing in eighth.
Piastri lost seventh place at the end of the race when he made a mistake defending against Russell. Despite the help of Fernando Alonso, who kept him in his DRS zone to defend against the #63 Mercedes, Piastri was unable to capitalize on it. Alonso was trying to prevent a late attack on his own sixth position.
Mercedes initially planned for Toto Wolff to stay behind, but he decided to travel to Suzuka to test some new developments on his W15. However, his performance was inconsistent. Hamilton initially felt the car was in good shape at the start, but his form dropped during qualifying, with Hamilton finishing seventh and Russell ninth.
At the end of the race, Hamilton faced understeer, poor tire wear, and damage, which led to him receiving instructions to let Russell pass. In the end, Mercedes was overtaken by Alonso in the Aston Martin. Now they have a one-point advantage over their power unit customers in the Constructors’ Championship, a situation that could have been different if Lance Stroll had not been eliminated in Q1 and had not scored points on race day.
Mercedes now faces challenging times ahead and will need to carefully analyze their performance. The next race is the Chinese Grand Prix, which will feature the first Sprint weekend of the season.
© 2024
Soccer fans are eagerly awaiting the next season, with many expectations and emotions on the horizon. Teams from around the world are getting ready to take the field and compete for the title. Among these teams, Barcelona is one of the most anticipated, with a reinforced squad ready to face any challenge.
Barcelona has a rich history and a legacy of success. With talented players like Messi, Suarez, and Coutinho, the team has a powerful attack capable of scoring many goals. Additionally, the team also has a solid defense, led by Piqué and Alba.
Last season was challenging for Barcelona, but the team is determined to return to the top. With a new coach and some important signings, the team is confident in its abilities and ready to compete with the best in the world.
In addition to Barcelona, other teams are also preparing for the season. Real Madrid, for example, is also aiming for titles and has a talented squad. Atletico Madrid, on the other hand, is determined to show its worth and compete on equal terms with the giants of Spanish football.
On the international stage, teams like Manchester City, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint-Germain are also favorites for the title. With world-class players in their squads, these teams promise to provide great games and exciting moments for fans.
The soccer season is about to begin and fans couldn’t be more excited. With powerful teams and talented players, the sport promises a lot of excitement and entertainment for soccer lovers. Get ready to cheer, celebrate, and enjoy the incredible moments that are yet to come.
