This weekend at Suzuka, several Formula 1 teams, including the giants Red Bull and Ferrari, are poised to unveil substantial upgrades to their vehicles.
According to De Telegraaf, a reputable Dutch newspaper with insider information from the Max Verstappen circle, the 2024 Red Bull car is set to receive “a significant package of updates” in Japan.
Meanwhile, Italy’s La Repubblica reports that Ferrari plans to implement “a small modification to the rear suspension,” paving the way for a more comprehensive set of improvements upon F1’s return to Europe.
Despite Red Bull’s anticipation of performing well at Suzuka, known for its demanding high-speed technical turns, the team remains vigilant. This cautious stance comes in the wake of Carlos Sainz leading a Ferrari one-two finish in Melbourne.
“The other teams have clearly closed the gap,” Sergio Perez admitted during his appearance at the F1 Tokyo Festival. He pointed out that in qualifying, the margins are incredibly narrow, often “within half a tenth. So one or two tenths can make a big difference,” he elaborated, stressing the significance of this margin in both qualifying rounds and the race itself.
Suzuka’s weather could play a pivotal role this weekend, with rain forecasted and a tsunami warning issued following the earthquake in Taiwan.
“It’s spring but it’s raining today,” Verstappen humorously noted, sharing his enjoyment of Japan during this season. “I came to Japan a week ago and enjoyed some skiing in Niseko. I enjoy being in Japan at this time of year. The calendar makes a bit more sense now,” he reflected, highlighting the importance of diversifying activities to maintain competitiveness in F1, especially after a rare technical DNF in Australia.
“Over the past two years but especially last year, Suzuka was a very good weekend for me,” Verstappen recalled, expressing his hopes for a repeat performance this weekend.
Regarding the brake issue he experienced in Melbourne, Verstappen is taking a balanced view. “It’s a very long season so I try to look at everything very neutrally, both the highs and the lows. We did not find anything that indicates any fundamental problems with the car,” he clarified.
Ferrari’s team principal, Frederic Vasseur, also present at the Tokyo event, shared his optimism about narrowing the gap to Red Bull.
“We’ve made a significant step forward this year, and we hope we will be in a position to fight with Red Bull and Max until the end,” Vasseur conveyed, reflecting on the close competition. “Melbourne was our best race, but we weren’t far behind the Red Bulls anywhere. The gaps are very small now. Everyone is very evenly matched. It’s a great feeling to travel to a country and know that you can win the race. We didn’t do that well here last year, but in these types of corners, the fast corners, we have become better than last year. We are only talking about gaps of one or two tenths per lap now. That means that everything is open, even if I am convinced that Red Bull will be very strong here,” Vasseur concluded, looking forward to the challenge at Suzuka.
GMM
