Max Verstappen delivered two laps in final qualifying both of which were good enough for pole position at the 2024 Formula One Japanese Grand Prix. This sets up the world champion’s fourth consecutive P1 start this season for tomorrow’s race, but Max didn’t have it all his own way as Sergio Perez came within 7/100 of a second of toppling his team mate.

Perez was set the challenge from his team boss to improve his Saturday form having failed to make final qualifying several times last year. In Abu Dhabi, Christian Horner was asked about Chico’s future at Red Bull, he replied:

 

 

 

Perez improves on Key Performance Indicator

“I think the last few races he’s had a bit of a reset,” Horner said. “His pace, when you look at the analysis through [the Abu Dhabi] weekend, again was very, very strong. He’s just got to sort his Saturdays out.”

Whatever Sergio’s winter preparations were, he has certainly hit the reset button in F1 qualifying. The Mexican started P5 in Bahrain then qualified at the lead of the second row in Jeddah and Melbourne before today’s P2 which saw there Red Bull driver finish over 2/10ths ahead of Norris in third.

“It was close today with Max, and it felt like a really good lap,” said Perez revealing where he lost the 0.066 seconds to his team mate. “I didn’t have a great exit opening up the lap, so it could have been different but I think we are in a good position for tomorrow.”

McLaren have lacked the pace of Mercedes and Ferrari all weekend, but up popped Lando Norris with a special final run – some 2/10ths quicker than Carlos Sainz in fourth place – which caused raised eyebrows from the Spanish driver. When asked whether he could have taken third ahead of the McLaren driver, Sainz was dismissive: “0.2 to Lando? No way,” he told assembled media.

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Sainz leads the way for Ferrari

Sainz again appears to have outperformed his Ferrari car which looked to be a handful in the hands of his Monegasque team mate. Charles Leclerc was bemused over the team radio at the end of the session when he was told he’d managed just P8. “That’s the best I can do – I don’t get it” reported Leclerc over the team radio.

Yet the gap to his team mate Sainz in P4 was a mere tenth of a second and the entire top eight were covered by just half a second. Clearly the field has bunched up since F1 was last in Japan given half a second back then was Max Verstappen’s margin from his pole position to P2.

Leclerc contributed somewhat to his downfall when in Q1 his first run left him vulnerable to being knocked out. Unlike the other top contenders in Q3 this meant Charles only had one set of new soft tyres for the top ten shootout.

Mercedes had been running well in the Suzuka practice sessions, but as has been the case this year so far, when qualifying came around, they looked a different team. Lewis Hamilton sounded glum even when he was told he would start the race from his highest grid position this year in P7.

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Hamilton ‘clueless’ when told the gap

When told of the gap to pole position Hamilton sounded clueless: “Where’s that half-a-second, man?” he bemoaned to his engineer.

Oscar Piastri last time in Suzuka put his McLaren alongside Max Verstappen on the front row of the grid. But in qualifying today the Aussie driver was left trailing in the shadow of his team mate and will start the race ahead of Lewis Hamilton in P6.

Aston Martin also somewhat ran to form as Fernando Alonso once again made final qualifying while Lance Stroll failed to make it out of Q. Alonso admitted there was nothing left out there on track as he put his Aston Martin into fifth for tomorrows starting grid. Fernando is the only driver at the front of the grid with a brand new set of soft tyres to start the Grand Prix.

Yuki Tsunoda delighted the home crowd as he made the pole position shootout and will start the race in P10. Meanwhile the limelight in recent weeks has been on the lack performance of his team mate Daniel Ricciardo. Whilst he was out qualified by Yuki again, the likeable Aussie was a mere 0.05 seconds shy of making the top ten which is a stark improvement on his recent efforts.

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Ricciardo delivers after little running

Daniel’s efforts were even better when considering he gave up his seat for FP1 to Red Bull junior driver Ayumu Iwasa and then watched the rain fall for most of FP2.

“Mixed emotions because I think, deep down, if we forget the scoreboard so to speak, I think it was a good session,” Ricciardo said.

“We didn’t get any dry running yesterday, so we had a few laps this morning to get into it, including a spin, and then obviously quick work to find those few tenths in quali. For that, I’m pleased with us being pretty much there but it’s not Q3.”

Ricciardo’s intention is to send it at lights out tomorrow following his highest qualifying position of the four races this season to date. “Our race pace has been alright, so clean side of the grid tomorrow. I’ll fire myself into the Top 10 early,” said the optimistic Australian eight time Grand Prix winner.

FIA rule change ruins fans Friday in Suzuka

 

 

 

More details emerge following McLaren’s SHOCK exi

In a turn of events that has sent shockwaves through the Formula One community, McLaren’s recent technical team reshuffle has resulted in the sudden departure of David Sanchez, a key senior technical figure, after just three months in the role.

This development, on the eve of the Japanese Grand Prix, has revealed a deeper story about the challenges and dynamics within F1 team structures…. READ MORE