Japanese Grand Prix

Red Bull and McLaren “a clear step ahead of us” in long and high speed corners at F1 Japanese GP — Sainz

Ryan McGahey5 months ago5 months ago06 mins

Carlos Sainz played down Ferrari’s pace having secured a P4 start during qualifying, with the Spaniard claiming both Red Bull and McLaren have cars better suited to the circuit characteristics of Suzuka. Speaking after a hard fought Japanese Grand Prix qualifying hour, with the top 8 separated by just over half a second, Ferrari’s Carlos…

F1 Japanese GP | FP3 | Verstappen leads Perez and the two Mercedes drivers in final practice

James O'Connor5 months ago5 months ago04 mins

On a cloudy morning at Suzuka, the drivers quickly took to the track after FP2 was basically written off because of the weather. A 1:30.265 from Max Verstappen kicked things off in FP3 on the mediums, 0.188s ahead of Sergio Perez. The Haas of Kevin Magnussen got it wrong at the hairpin, losing the rear…

Red Bull Chief Engineer Paul Monaghan explains the exact cause of Max Verstappen’s shock DNF in the F1 Australian GP

James O'Connor5 months ago5 months ago06 mins

Red Bull Chief Engineer Paul Monaghan has detailed the reason for Max Verstappen’s surprising retirement at the Australian Grand Prix. The Dutch driver had been on a remarkable run of 43 consecutive points finishes, dating back to early 2022. Ironically, his last DNF had been at Albert Park early in that campaign. By lap 3…

Verstappen and Perez pleased with balance in F1 Japanese GP practice; Sainz and Leclerc admit Red Bull favourites for pole

James O'Connor5 months ago5 months ago07 mins

Normal service resumed at Suzuka on Friday as Max Verstappen topped FP1. With FP2 held in mixed conditions, only the first session gave us a read on how things might pan out in qualifying on Saturday afternoon. The three-time World Champion topped the times by 0.181s from teammate Sergio Perez. Speaking after practice, Verstappen explained…

F1 Japanese GP | FP2 | Piastri tops a quiet session dominated by rain

Lucrezia Costa5 months ago05 mins

It would be time for cars to return on track as it’s the starting time for the second practice session of the weekend. However, no one is out due to the intermediate weather conditions: it’s raining, but still not enough for wet or slick tyres to run. All the drivers are hanging out around their…

F1 Japanese GP | FP1 | Verstappen leads Perez and Sainz; Sargeant crashes heavily

James O'Connor5 months ago5 months ago05 mins

At RB F1, Ayumu Iwasa replaced Daniel Ricciardo in first practice as the Faenza-based team used this session as an opportunity to tick off one of the two where a rookie must be run in FP1 during the season. The Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton posted the first time on a 1:32.945, before Lando Norris beat…

Haas F1 tyre wear gains “a big game-changer” as they were a “runaway train in the wrong direction” last year, say drivers

James O'Connor5 months ago5 months ago08 mins

One of the positive stories to come out of the first 3 rounds of the 2024 F1 season has been the impressive turnaround from Haas following a brutal 2023 campaign. They finished last in the Constructors’ Championship as horrendous tyre wear left Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hülkenberg completely exposed on Sundays, regularly falling through the…

Sauber’s F1 pitstop woes will take time to fix, warn Zhou and Bottas

Ewout Albrecht5 months ago5 months ago05 mins

After botched pit stops in all three races thus far in 2024, there is some hope from Sauber to improve them before the Chinese Grand Prix. According to Alessandro Alunni Bravi the team in Hinwill has been working around the clock to try and find a resolution to the issues, which are rooted in the new pit equipment Sauber has produced for this season.

“A little bit tougher to get everything out of the car” — Norris pinpoints car characteristics and tyres for F1 qualifying struggles

Luke-John Buckle6 months ago6 months ago07 mins

Lando Norris has opened up about his Formula 1 qualifying struggles, pointing to his aggressive driving style as a weakness over a single lap. This may come as a surprise, as Norris has qualified in the top 10 at all three races this season and has twice beaten his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri. He said:…

Logan Sargeant to use Albon’s repaired and slightly heavier chassis for F1 Japanese GP

Editorial Staff6 months ago6 months ago05 mins

The Williams chassis saga continues this weekend in Japan. If you missed the race in Australia, here’s a quick recap of the controversial decision made by Williams. During free practice 1, Alex Albon crashed into the wall, leaving the car beyond repair. Due to sacrifices made to further advance the team, Williams does not have…