Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing RB20 took the lead at the beginning of the race. This occurred on April 7, 2024, during the Japanese Grand Prix, which is part of the Formula 1 World Championship.
Verstappen made an impressive comeback after retiring in Australia. He displayed his dominance by securing a Formula 1 victory at the Japanese Grand Prix.
During the race, Verstappen maintained his pole position and achieved his third win of the season. The Japanese fans were thrilled by Yuki Tsunoda’s top-ten finish.
However, not all drivers had a smooth weekend, and some are hoping for a change in fortune when they compete in Shanghai.
Verstappen’s performance in Japan was exceptional, especially after his early retirement in Australia. He demonstrated his skill and determination throughout the weekend at Suzuka. He secured pole position, and despite facing stiff competition from his teammate Sergio Perez, he emerged as the winner. Verstappen’s flawless launches and ability to maintain a comfortable lead allowed him to extend his winning margin.
Perez, who had a challenging qualifying session, showed significant improvement in Suzuka. Although he narrowly missed out on pole position, he couldn’t catch up to Verstappen during the race. Despite this, Perez’s performance was a vast improvement compared to his previous showing at Suzuka.
Carlos Sainz, the winner of the Australian Grand Prix, once again proved to be the stronger driver among the Ferrari duo. Despite the SF-24 not being able to match the RB20’s performance at Suzuka, Sainz managed to secure a third-place finish by taking advantage of his better tires. In the final stint, he effortlessly overtook Lando Norris and was later allowed to pass by his compliant teammate Leclerc, securing him a spot on the podium.
Leclerc’s performance in the Japanese Grand Prix was hindered by his struggles with the Pirelli tires during qualifying. Starting from P8, he had to rely on his strong race pace and a well-executed one-stop strategy. However, this strategy left him vulnerable to Sainz, who had a tire advantage. Ferrari instructed Leclerc to let Sainz pass, but he still managed to turn a poor qualifying into a commendable fourth-place finish.
Lando Norris showcased exceptional driving skills by securing a remarkable P3 starting position, despite his machinery not being as competitive. However, this meant he had to defend against faster opponents throughout the race. McLaren hoped that a two-stop strategy could help Norris contend for a podium finish, but the disadvantage of worn-out tires in the closing stages dashed those hopes. Nevertheless, Norris put up a good fight and kept the Ferraris within striking distance.
Oscar Piastri, who stood on the podium in Japan the previous year, couldn’t replicate his success in the 2024 event. Despite qualifying in sixth place, the Australian driver was three-tenths slower than his teammate Norris throughout the weekend, and he never posed a real threat to him. During the race, Piastri lost position to Leclerc’s Ferrari but put up a strong defense against George Russell. Unfortunately, a mistake at the chicane on the penultimate lap allowed Russell’s Mercedes to pass him, resulting in an eighth-place finish.
Qualified in fifth position, Fernando Alonso, a two-time World Champion, showcased his exceptional skills in the Aston Martin AMR24 to secure a commendable sixth place finish in the Grand Prix. Throughout the race, he consistently outperformed his teammate Lance Stroll and utilized his extensive Formula 1 experience to stay within DRS range of Piastri, hoping to fend off a charging Russell.
Lance Stroll, who qualified in sixteenth place, faced a disappointing exit in Q1, with a significant eight-tenth gap to Alonso. Despite a lackluster performance in Suzuka, Stroll managed to make some progress during the race and climbed to twelfth position. However, his widening deficit to his teammate continues to hinder Aston Martin’s standing in the Constructors’ Championship. If Stroll had delivered better performances, the team could have secured fourth place instead of trailing Mercedes by just one point.
George Russell, who qualified behind Lewis Hamilton, had a smoother race experience. Hamilton graciously allowed Russell to overtake him in the opening stint, enabling Russell to chase down Piastri towards the end. Although there was slight contact between the two drivers, Russell eventually forced Piastri into a mistake at the final chicane, securing seventh place on the penultimate lap.
Hamilton, who outperformed Russell in qualifying, struggled with race pace in the W15. The seven-time Drivers’ Champion faced understeer issues and made slight contact with Leclerc early on. He then allowed Russell to pass him in order to pursue the McLarens ahead. It is becoming increasingly evident that Mercedes and Hamilton have a challenging season ahead of them.
Yuki Tsunoda delivered an exhilarating performance in front of his home crowd, earning valuable points. Although he dropped to twelfth position early on due to others on softer tires having a better start, Tsunoda executed a series of daring overtakes in the esses, buoyed by the support from his fans. It was an impressive display, especially considering Daniel Ricciardo’s struggles throughout the weekend.
Daniel Ricciardo had a promising start to the weekend, narrowly missing out on a Q3 appearance by just half-a-tenth. However, his race took a turn for the worse when he was involved in a first-lap collision with Alex Albon at Turn 2, resulting in the deployment of red flags. While Ricciardo may not be solely responsible for the incident, his careless return to the racing line and lack of awareness during the opening lap certainly contributed to the crash. This incident only adds to the uncertainty surrounding Ricciardo’s future in the sport.
Nico Hulkenberg had another impressive performance in qualifying at Suzuka, securing the 12th position on the grid. However, his chances of a top ten finish were dashed when he experienced an anti-stall issue during the second launch. Despite this setback, Hulkenberg and Haas managed to salvage a respectable 11th place finish after an early pitstop.
In the Japanese Grand Prix, Haas opted for different strategies for their drivers, which proved costly for Kevin Magnussen. The Danish driver failed to make it to Q2 and had to fight his way up the field, only to lose positions due to the team’s strategy. Nevertheless, finishing higher than his qualifying position, as Hulkenberg did, shows promise for Haas.
Sauber’s struggles with pace and procedures have been evident in 2024, making Valtteri Bottas’s second consecutive appearance in Q2 a reason for optimism. Bottas had a good start before the race was red-flagged, putting him in contention for points after the restart. However, Sauber’s pit-stop deficiencies proved costly for Bottas, and during the second round of stops, a five-second delay in the box ruined his chances of scoring.
Zhou Guanyu had a disappointing qualifying session, starting from the last position on the grid and seven places behind his teammate Bottas. Unfortunately, progress was not on the cards for Guanyu as a gearbox fault forced him to retire early from the race. He now faces the challenge of regaining his form for his home round in Shanghai.
Qualified in 15th place and finishing the race in the same position, Esteban Ocon achieved a small victory by getting the troublesome Alpine out of the first qualifying session. However, his performance on Sunday’s race showed that Alpine has a lot of work to do as he struggled to fight against his midfield rivals at Suzuka.
Pierre Gasly, on the other hand, had a tougher time dealing with Alpine’s struggles. Despite not being able to advance to Q2, Gasly had a strong start in the race restart. Unfortunately, he ended up in a tight space between Tsunoda and Ocon, resulting in contact with his teammate. This incident caused floor damage to Gasly’s car, hindering his progress and costing him 33 points of downforce. It was yet another disappointing afternoon in what has been a dismal 2024 campaign for him.
In Japan, Logan Sargeant’s performance justified Williams’ decision to withdraw him from the Australian GP. Right from the beginning, Sargeant displayed his typical inconsistencies, crashing out of FP1 at Turn 7 of the Suzuka circuit. Despite recovering well and finishing just under two-tenths behind Alex Albon in qualifying, he had to settle for 19th on the grid. Unfortunately, his chances of improving in the race were hindered by a lack of judgement, causing him to go off track at Degner 2. After a brief stint in the gravel, he ultimately finished last in the race.
Alex Albon, outperforming his teammate Sargeant, qualified his Williams in 14th place and managed to escape elimination in Q1. However, his strong start on the soft tire was cut short when he found himself on the outside of Ricciardo heading into Turn 3. A move from the Australian driver caused Albon to crash into the barriers, ending his race and requiring repairs on his chassis.