14 F1 storylines for the Japanese Grand Prix

This weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix might provide one thing Formulation 1 followers haven’t seen but this season.

No, not a staff aside from Pink Bull profitable a race, as followers have been handled to that two weeks in the past when Carlos Sainz Jr. drove previous Max Verstappen within the early phases of the Australian Grand Prix. Verstappen’s RB20 struggling a subsequent brake duct failure opened the door to Sainz’s gorgeous victory simply weeks after an appendectomy, pulling Ferrari nearer to Pink Bull within the Constructors’ standings.

Somewhat, what followers might even see for the primary time this season is racing within the moist.

Early forecasts for the Japanese Grand Prix are calling for rain, and probably a big quantity. In keeping with the latest reviews from Climate.com, there’s a 43% likelihood of showers on Sunday, the day of the Japanese Grand Prix.

Curiously sufficient, the Japanese Grand Prix was moved to April this season, slightly than the September/October date it sometimes held on the calendar. Whereas a predominant cause for this was to additional F1’s sustainability objectives, tying the Japanese Grand Prix with races in Australia and China on the calendar, the transfer additionally shifted the race away from Japan’s conventional storm season. The Japanese Grand Prix has typically been impacted by heavy rains, together with the 2022 race which noticed the Grand Prix shortened as a result of heavy rain.

But, if current climate reviews maintain true, groups and drivers should still be coping with moist situations this weekend.

The most important query dealing with every staff on the grid

Final week we labored via the whole grid, having a look on the greatest query dealing with every staff. For individuals who didn’t take a look at that collection — or those that are on the lookout for a refresher — that is the right time to have a look.

Alpine: How shortly will the progress come?

Sauber: Can they sort things within the pits?

Williams: Will there be a hangover from what occurred in Australia?

Haas: Have they honestly fastened their greatest downside from 2023?

Visa Money App RB F1 Workforce: Is Daniel Ricciardo actually in hassle?

Aston Martin: Can they get the event proper this season?

Mercedes: Can the Silver Arrows flip issues round?

McLaren: Can they keep sizzling?

Ferrari: Can they honestly problem Pink Bull?

Pink Bull: Are they actually weak?

May Adrian Newey actually be on the transfer?

May Adrian Newey, and his legendary pocket book of secrets and techniques, really be on the way in which out from Milton Keynes?

Groups have tried to poach maybe the best engineer in F1 historical past prior to now, however may this time be totally different? In keeping with current reviews, Lawrence Stroll has made Newey a profitable provide that will put his wage on par with a few of the drivers on the grid.

The timing is actually notable, because the reviews come throughout a Pink Bull season rocked by off-the-track drama. From the whispers of an influence battle on the prime to the continued investigation into Workforce Principal Christian Horner — and the potential fallout — the time could possibly be ripe for Newey to make a change.

Perhaps Newey does make a transfer. Perhaps not. However the driver switch market may not be the one motion to trace this season.

The motive force switch market heats up

Talking of the driving force switch market …

The spectacular begin to the season for Carlos Sainz Jr. — a podium and a win sandwiching an appendectomy — has many questioning simply the place the Ferrari driver might be subsequent season. With Lewis Hamilton sliding into his seat subsequent 12 months, Sainz is a free agent, and shouldn’t have any scarcity of suitors.

May that embrace Pink Bull, his former staff?

Senior Advisor Dr. Helmut Marko opined on that and extra not too long ago, as he’s wont to do. “In fact, his type is fascinating,” Marko informed Laola1.

Marko then turned to the present occupant of a seat beside Max Verstappen, Sergio Pérez.

“However you need to realise that Checo [Pérez] delivered three good races this 12 months. The truth that he fell again a lot in Melbourne was as a result of broken underbody and [tire] degradation.

“His solely weak spot is in qualifying. If he can enhance there, there’s no want to consider it. The ambiance within the staff is excellent additionally so far as he’s involved.”

If not Pink Bull, then the place for Sainz? Mercedes could also be an possibility, that means we may get a driver flip with Hamilton taking Sainz’s spot at Ferrari whereas he then takes his former spot with the Silver Arrows. There have additionally been long-running rumors of a transfer to Sauber, forward of that staff turning into the Audi works staff in 2026. Sainz’s father is a rally driver for Audi, so there’s a connection.

Given his sizzling begin to the season, Sainz stands out as the best choice for groups with a seat to fill for the following season. And for the driving force, it’d make sense to strike whereas the iron is sizzling, and lock in a seat for 2025.

Definitely a narrative to look at this week.

Yuki Tsunoda at dwelling

One other driver who has been linked with a possible transfer to Pink Bull?

VCARB driver Yuki Tsunoda.

After a irritating begin to the season in Bahrain, punctuated by some frustration at some staff orders, Tsunoda has settled in and impressed over the previous two weeks. He delivered a powerful consequence for the staff in Australia, as his seventh-place end banked six essential factors for the staff, and propelled VCARB to sixth within the standings.

Moreover, Tsunoda has out-qualified teammate Daniel Ricciardo — who has additionally been linked to a possible transfer to Pink Bull — in every of the three races this season, whereas scoring their solely factors.

Now Tsunoda will get to race at dwelling, and whereas he failed to attain factors a 12 months in the past after advancing to Q3 in final 12 months’s Japanese Grand Prix, he has confirmed extra potential on this 12 months’s challenger, and is coming off a pair of Q3 appearances.

As well as, he might be driving in FP1 alongside countryman Ayumu Iwasa, as VCARB is letting the F2 driver take part in FP1 in Ricciardo’s place. It will likely be the F1 debut for Iwasa, one other gifted member of the Pink Bull driver program.

Ayao Komatsu’s dwelling debut

Tsunoda isn’t the one determine on the F1 grid competing at dwelling this weekend.

For brand new Haas Workforce Principal Ayao Komatsu, that is his first race with the staff whereas within the huge chair.

“Yeah, it’s fairly particular,” mentioned Komatsu in a video launched by the staff forward of the Japanese Grand Prix. “I left Japan 30 years in the past and I didn’t assume that in 30-years’ time I might be again on the Japanese Grand Prix as a Workforce Principal.

“I feel it’s a fairly particular second.”

For Komatsu, whereas he’s hoping the staff has solved their greatest downside from a 12 months in the past — tire degradation — he’s involved in regards to the high-speed corners Suzuka has to supply.

“Having completed three races this 12 months on very totally different circuits, I’m actually happy that we’ve scored twice out of three occasions, with one level in Jeddah and three factors in Melbourne. We’ve proven our race tempo is best than our qualifying tempo, particularly in Melbourne, in order that’s clearly a power,” mentioned Komatsu within the staff’s media preview. “On the similar time, qualifying in Melbourne confirmed the weak spot of the VF-24 and will probably be a bit comparable in Suzuka sadly when it comes to circuit requirement, as Suzuka has sector one with high-speed corners.”

“Once we noticed these high-speed corners in Bahrain, in Jeddah round sector 1, and in Melbourne, we noticed our automotive isn’t fairly there within the high-speed areas, so sector 1 in Suzuka goes to be an enormous problem for us,” added Komatsu. “How we’re going to handle that lack of excessive pace, grip and steadiness wanted to carry out in qualifying in Suzuka might be vital, because it’s not a straightforward circuit to overhaul.

“That’s going to be a problem for us, however we’ve acquired a few concepts, so we’ll be trying to do a couple of experiments on Friday to enhance that facet. Concerning race tempo, like in Melbourne, I feel will probably be stronger than our qualifying tempo, so fascinated about our race technique we’ll want to take a look at how we will capitalize on that, having a greater race technique in Suzuka.”