Verstappen Unbothered By Teammate Selection

As the rumor mill continues to fly regarding moves in the Red Bull Racing camp its clear that your reigninF1 champion Max Verstappen is unbothered by the whole thing. His focus is and always has been on winning races. Given the recent off track distractions at Red Bull, Verstappen has not allowed it to affect his winning ways. The one race he didn’t win this year was a result of a DNF due to a brake failure. Verstappen stated, “I actually don’t worry about it. Because in the end, whoever is next to me, ultimately, at the end of the year he must finish behind me in the championship anyway.”

Verstappen clearly doesn’t have a preference as to who races beside him. In the past he has hinted at Lando Norris joining the Red Bull side but given that Norris has extended his contract with McLaren. Hamilton was briefly coined as a replacement for Sergio Perez but them Hamilton signed with Ferrari. With that move the next driver who has come up as a prospect is Carlos Sainz but given Sergio Perez’s performance thus far in 2024 and his P2 finish in 2023. It is a hard decision to make to break up the team when you have the two best drivers on the grid.

Carlos Sainz Rumored to be Headed to Mercedes

There are whispers in the F1 paddock regarding Mercedes making a bid for Carlos Sainz. Sainz is seemingly the most sought after driver. One thing is certain, Sainz will have to make a decision on his future quickly. Audi have given him an ultimatum to decide. Time is against him and the season is still young.

Max Verstappen bounced back from his DNF in Australia to secure the win in the Japanese Grand Prix. Verstappen lead another Red Bull 1-2 with Sergio Perez securing P2 and Australia’s winner Carlos Sainz finished third. The Red Bulls still appear to have an advantage having won 3 of the 4 races this year with 1-2 finishes. However the story here is based on Sainz and his second podium in a row after it was announced he would be replaced by Lewis Hamilton at Ferrari next year. In the short term it seems as though the decision to axe Sainz has proven to be a mistake. To add insult to injury, Sainz secured third after passing his teammate Charles Leclerc which will leave Ferrari questioning their decision.

Sainz commented, as quoted by Sky Sports F1, “I had a good race. I’m very happy because it was quite tough out there with the degradation but then the clouds came and the degradation went a lot lower and I thought one-stop was quicker and we were on the two.

I had to overtake a lot of cars out there. Overtaking was tricky, like always at Suzuka, you need to nail the last chicane to get a good run into Turn One. I could finish my moves but it was tough out there.”

Red Bull Racing Has Avoided Destabilization

Despite the off track distractions faced at Red Bull Racing; the team has maintained their level of success from the conclusion of the 2023 Formula One season. Having won 3 of 4 races this far while facing the adversity the team has faced in the media is feat in itself. Red Bull has been the center of an ongoing investigation regarding team principal Christian Horner and another employee. Horner was cleared of any wrong doing. However, the rumor mill has been flying with reports of key personnel leaving the team and a potential move for Verstappen. Verstappen is rumored to have been offered a contract with Mercedes.

Given the current performance of the Red Bull, it is a tough sell for the defending world champion to leave the winning side for a lower performing competitor. Thus far Verstappen has made no indication that he will be leaving Red Bull. The team appears to be working as normal as they maintain their dominance with a 21 point lead over Ferrari in the constructor’s championship.

Ferrari Settle for 3rd and 4th

Carlos Sainz showed he had the lead team pace today in Japan after passing Ferrari teammate Leclerc on lap 46 of the 53 lap race and wouldn’t look back finishing almost 6 seconds behind. Ferrari did what it needed to today and that was defend against the McLarens and Aston Martins which showed early season success. With back to back double point finishes for Ferrari and 3 podiums in the lap 2 races it seems that Ferrari may have turned things around.

Tsunoda Scores Points, Ricciardo Crashes Out

Yuki Tsunoda had a brilliant performance in front of his home crowd. Tsunoda scored 1 point for RB after finishing P10 in the race. His teammate Daniel Ricciardo crashed out of the race on lap 1 of the race after an incident with the Williams car of Alex Albon. Both drivers retired from the race due tot the incident. Unfortunately for Ricciardo he was out of the race before it started.

It was rumored that Ricciardo needs to improve his performance starting in Australia and then Japan if he wants to retain his seat at RB. On both occasions Ricciardo was out qualified and out finished which raises questions as to whether his future at RB is disappearing. Liam Lawson stays poised for an opportunity to get back on the Formula one grid. With Ricciardo’s shortcomings continuing it will be a difficult but necessary decision to remove him if things don’t turn around soon.

Full Formula One Japanese Grand Prix Results

After a disastrous Australian Grand Prix Red Bull Racing has bounced back in Japan at Suzuka this weekend. Max Verstappen lead FP1 FP3 and qualifying topping the tables for most of the weekend. Qualifying occurred in dry conditions despite rain earlier in the weekend during FP2. The Red Bulls never really looked threatened at the front but as you move down the pecking order the mix got more interesting.

Tsunoda Out-Qualifies Ricciardo Again

Yuki Tsunoda outperformed his teammate Daniel Ricciardo yet again knocking Ricciardo out of Q2 by less than a tenth of a second. Tsunoda made it to Q3 in front of his home crowd in Japan but ended up slowest in the final session of qualifying and will start P10 in tomorrows race. Ricciardo still doesn’t have an answer to his teammate’s recent success. He said, “I have mixed emotions today. There’s a bit of frustration but it’s also encouraging to be so close to Q3 after a tricky start to the year. Considering that yesterday I had only a few laps, and they were in damp conditions, today’s qualifying was a good session as we were very close to making it inside the top 10. I drove some laps this morning in FP3 and then worked hard to find those few tenths for quali.

I’m pleased for us to be pretty much there, but it’s not Q3. It’s just frustrating to be knocked out by just half a tenth as it would have been nice to give it to the guys today. After yesterday, we certainly see some positives that are encouraging. For tomorrow, the race pace has been alright, and I’ll start on the clean side of the grid. I really think points are possible, so I’ll aim to be in the top 10 in Lap 1 as well as in Lap 53.”

Tsunoda had a different tone. He commented on Q3, “I felt a little pressure coming into this weekend after our strong performance in Australia,” he said. “But I’d say it’s good pressure and I’m very happy I was able to get into Q3 in front of my family, friends and home crowd.”

Mercedes Misses Out on Top Five Again

The Mercedes side has seen its fair share of struggles in the 2023 and 2022 seasons. Early this season it seemed as though the team figured out their shortcomings. However, after today’s qualifying results Lewis Hamilton will started P7 and George Russell at P9.

Hamilton commented, Qualifying was generally a really good session. I think we’ve made some good improvements to the car and its balance so far this weekend. I was overall much happier in the car than I have been this year, although there are clear areas of improvement. We have taken steps in the right direction though. When we raced here just six months ago, we were over one second adrift and we’ve closed that gap to the front a little, and to our nearest competitors. Of course I was hoping for more and we are never going to be happy with P7, but we know our car is a work in progress.
 
Tomorrow’s race will be all about tire degradation. Our long run pace looked similar to others on Friday, so we will see if that is the case on Sunday. I think it will be very close tomorrow so I hope we can maximize all the various factors and take home some good points.”

Lando Norris secured P3 with his teammate finishing Q3 P6.

Full Qualifying Results from Suzuka

Carlos Sainz has been the subject of chatter in the transfer market as he is still without a seat for the 2025 season. Sainz’s contract with Ferrari ends at the conclusion of the 2024 season. After coming off of a race win Sainz has shown his doubters that he still has what it takes to win in Formula 1. However, he is still unemployed. One potential move for Sainz would be to join Audi who will be new comers to the current era of Formula 1 and hold uncertainty for the driver.

Audi Joining F1 in 2026

Talks with Audi began last year when it was announced they would be acquiring Sauber at the start of the new technical regulations in 2026. However, Sainz at 32 years of age has much to consider in terms of the future of his career. One one arm he had been offered a seat with Audi that now comes with a two week ultimatum to accept or he can risk the seat and potentially be picked up by one of the other teams on the grid who have vacancies.

The most likely appear to be Red Bull Racing, Mercedes and Aston Martin. Sainz isn’t interested in the money as a motivator per se. He wants to drive a competitive car that can take the fight to the Ferraris and the rest of the “Top 4” who seem to be finally headed in the right direction. With limited time left in his career; his decision has to be strategic. A tenure such as Fernando Alonso’s 20 year run is not typical in F1. Given where Sainz is in his career compared to where Alonso was at this point Sainz needs to make a splash if he wants to stay on the grid.

Now that Sainz is on the clock with Audi a potential move elsewhere will require swift action by the parties interested in him. If such a move is to be made we would expect to hear about it within the week. We will update this story as more develops.

Despite all of the off track drama in the Red Bull camp. Christian Horner’s words, “Its business as usual” seem to be holding true in the Milton Keynes based team. Verstappen and Checo have both shown a determination to remain at the top of the grid in 2024 after finishing 1-2 in the first two races of the season. Both driver had a poor outing for race three in Australia and its clear they are eager to get back on track in Japan this weekend.

Verstappen Commented on His Race In Australia

“I think we saw already some signs on Saturday where things were maybe not looking like they should have done,” the world champion commented. “Of course, now in hindsight you can say it was coming from the brake caliper. But we couldn’t find any, let’s say, fault with the car which, in a way, it’s of course always bad to retire but when you have a fault, it may be the build spec or whatever, then it’s a bit worse. We’ll just move on from there and learn from it, [hope] that it doesn’t happen again but normally it shouldn’t.”

“Every year is different,” said Verstappen. “Last year we had a bit of a difficult weekend in Singapore. I think, if you look at Melbourne performance-wise, we were quick but we didn’t finish the race, so that’s not ideal. But our car normally likes the higher-speed corners, so hopefully we can show that again this weekend.”

Logan Sargeant Bring out Red Flag

After missing out on the Australian Grand Prix due to a logistical mistake made by Williams F1 Team. Sargeant was looking towards Japanese Grand prix weekend as an opportunity to shine. That however didn’t happen right out of the gate in the first session of the weekend. Sargeant crashed on a hot lap in turn 7 impacting the barriers. The damage seems to be limited to the front wing so we will see if the mechanics can get the car turned around for FP2.

Full FP1 Japanese Grand Prix Results

Yuki Tsunoda’s recent performances have the executives at Red Bull confused on how to move forward with the future of their driver lineup. Tsunoda has out performed his teammate Daniel Ricciardo on almost every occasion thus far this season. With rumors of ultimatums surrounding Daniel Ricciardo’s possible removal. Tsunoda has the ultimate opportunity to perform at his home grand prix this weekend in Japan.

Tsunoda Speaks to the Fans During This Weekend’s Preview Festivities

Yuli spoke to press during the pre race weekend press conference, “Hi everybody, it’s Yuki here with the preview for Japan. Very excited, first of all – my home Grand Prix. The track itself is very high-speed and at the same time very risky. Once you step out of the track you end up in the wall, so you know a bit of fear as well, but definitely it’s my favorite track; I never get bored there.

Last year I was able to go through to Q3 so that was very good. I achieved the target but at the same time, I wasn’t able to score points yet the last two years, so hopefully I can achieve that this year. So far, it’s good momentum, I think at the same time, every race we reset and focus, so let’s see how it goes but I’m feeling confident and can’t wait to get on the track in front of Japanese fans!”

Despite not yet scoring points in his home race, Tsunoda hopes to achieve this this weekend. The battle between the two RB drivers should be a good one as it appears both are fighting for their seats as neither is confirmed beyond 2024. The variable of adverse weather could be a factor with rain currently listed at 40% chance this weekend. Tsunoda finished 12th in the 2023 outing and 13th in the rain plagued race in 2022. Can Tsunoda score points this weekend and set the tone in the RB camp that he is the front man?

Red Bull reserve driver Liam Lawson wowed the masses with his performances with Alpha Tauri last year. Ricciardo suffered from a wrist injury that saw him sit out for 5 races. Lawson stepped in and was able to score points in his short 5 race stint with the car. A feat Ricciardo had not yet accomplished for the then Alpha Tauri side. In 2023, Alpha Tauri now RB saw a year of disappointment leaving them P8 in the championship race. Despite that finish the RBs are showing glimpses of improvement as they now sit P6 in the constructors championship.

Jody Egginton (Technical Director): After the Australian Grand Prix

“After some frustrations in the first two GP’s, where we showed some positive signs but did not manage to put it all together, it’s very satisfying to have delivered a solid event here at Albert Park, with all of the hard work trackside, in Bicester and Faenza being rewarded with points today. Yuki has been strong all weekend here, finishing the job off with a very mature and confident drive in the race, which is very satisfying to see and something I am sure he is very happy about!  Daniel’s weekend has been less straightforward, but credit to him. He has got his head down and worked very hard together with his engineers to get the car more towards his liking.

Although the result does not show it, there are some good signs of progress, which I expect we can start to capitalize on in the next events, with the target of getting him into the fight at the sharp end of the mid-field battle as soon as possible. Looking at the first three events, overall, I feel we are building a solid understanding of our car and are looking forward to the next phase of the season. However, with the midfield being very tight, we will be focused on making each update count and executing weekends like this one to build on this solid result.” 

Is Ricciardo Going to Improve?

Daniel Ricciardo has yet to show he still has what it takes to keep his seat at RB. RB has raised concerns with Ricciardo’s lack of performance. Teammate Yuki Tsunoda has scored all of the points for RB thus far in the season. Ricciardo is one of seven drivers who have yet to score points this season. With reserve driver Liam Lawson preparing full time for his next opportunity on the grid. The pressure on Ricciardo to perform is building by the day. Lawson has proven that he can score points in F1 having almost no experience with the car. Ricciardo has had multiple opportunities to shine and those opportunities are starting to run slim.

Helmut Marko is rumored to have given Ricciardo an ultimatum. If his results don’t start improving within the next two races he will be replaced by Lawson.

After the Australian Grand Prix Carlos Sainz has been the talk of the paddock with his race winning pace. Ferrari showed their might in Australia taking advantage of shortcomings at Red Bull and Mercedes to secure a 1-2 finish led by Sainz. Sainz has had an up and down past 3 years. While he made some mistakes the majority of his shortcomings have been attributed to bad luck and poor strategy calls. It’s clear that Ferrari made the decision to pass on Sainz but did they make the right choice?

Journey Into History

Sainz’s move to Ferrari marked a significant step in his career. He joined the team alongside Charles Leclerc, from his tenure at McLaren. Sainz had a solid debut season with Ferrari and showcased consistent performances throughout the year. Sainz started off as a regularly finishing in the points and often battling with the front-runners. While he didn’t secure any race victories in his rookie season , he demonstrated his competitiveness and ability to deliver strong results for the team.

Fast forward to 2024 and Sainz has since documented 3 wins and 20 podiums in Formula 1; more than many of his competitors. However, Sainz still doesn’t have a seat for 2025. Ferrari announced that Lewis Hamilton will be taking his place at Ferrari in 2025. The news came at the same time Sainz was diagnosed with appendicitis and had to miss the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. There were questions surrounding his fitness for the Australian Grand Prix but Sainz made the decision to make the trip. His performance however was something no one expected. Winning the race and winning in the dominant fashion he did sparked conversations on whether Ferrari made the right decision.

Charles Leclerc Offers His Thoughts on Sainz

With the decision made to let Sainz go. There are rumors he is linked with a move to Red Bull, Aston Martin and possibly to Mercedes given Hamilton’s departure. Of course nothing is confirmed and this is all speculation. . His current teammate Charles Leclerc said, “I think everybody knows Carlos’ worth in the paddock. He’s one of the highest-rated drivers in the paddock and he’s been extremely strong every time he was in a Formula 1 car. He has showed it multiple times, so I don’t think he’s underrated for that. That’s why I’ve said many times that I’m not too worried about his future, because I’m sure that many, many Team Principals are…he doesn’t say it, but for sure they are speaking with him! And I’m sure he will have many opportunities. He’ll just have to make the best choice for his career.”

As the prospective landing spots for Sainz come to light, fans will be eager to determine his new team for 2025. It is hard to imagine a driver of Sainz’s caliber to end up without a seat for 2025. Stranger things have happened in Formula 1 thought. Only time will tell his fate.

Carlos Sainz crossed the finish line a winner today in Australia in a fashion that was in stark contrast to the race in 2023. World championship leader Max Verstappen was forced to retires from the race after his back right axel caught fire and had a catastrophic failure. The retirement was his first retirement in two years. “Yeah, it’s not ideal. Of course you always want to finish the races but it’s a mechanical sport,” Verstappen said following his first retirement since the 2022 Australian Grand Prix. “These things unfortunately happen, but I think it’s the most important that we understand why it happened.”

Sainz Bounces Back in Return Race

After missing the race in Jeddah due to precautions surrounding surgery Sainz came back in full force.

What a rollercoaster! I’m extremely happy,” said Sainz. “I felt good in the car right from lap 1 and after overtaking Max (Verstappen), when I was in free air, I started setting a strong pace that took me all the way to the finish line, bringing home the first win of the season. I’m also happy that George is OK after the heavy crash. The team deserves this one-two, we did a fantastic job all weekend, from FP1 to the last lap. We executed a perfect race, nailed the strategy and the mechanics were incredible delivering precise and quick pit stops every single time. Congratulations to everyone! Let’s carry this momentum to Japan! Vamos!

Charles Leclerc complained about the rear wing selection on this car in qualifying. Despite the early struggles, the P2 finish was a good team finish for Ferrari who have struggled in recent years to maintain a regular presence on the podium as race winners. That all changed this weekend. “It was a really good weekend for the team. We maximized our points and left nothing on the table, bringing home a 1-2 finish and the fastest lap.

Carlos did a solid job today. On my side, I had a good first stint and we managed to get ahead of Lando (Norris) during the pit stop. I struggled a bit with graining on my first set of Hards and had a stronger pace on the last stint on the second set of Hards, managing the gap to Lando.
We’ve started out the season with three weekends in which we have made the most of our potential, which feels really good and is a testimony to all the hard work that our team has put in over the past months.”

Double DNF for Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton was the first Mercedes out of the race. The race seemed to be going well for Hamilton but he had a sudden loss of all power in the car. My race was going OK up until the point we suffered the Power Unit failure. It’s quite tough to overtake here but we had gained some positions early on with the Soft tyre. It was unfortunate that we had to retire as there was still a long way to go. I was beginning to press on, but the Power Unit just stopped. These things happen and I know we will bounce back.” His teammate George Russell crashed out of the race on the final lap which was a low point for the Mercedes side.

McLaren secured maximum points behind the Ferraris with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finishing P3 and P4 respectively.

Full Australian Grand Prix Results

Note – Leclerc scored an additional point for setting the fastest lap of the race. Car #2 (Logan Sargeant, Williams) withdrawn. Gasly received a five-second time penalty for crossing the line at the pit exit. Alonso received a drive-through penalty converted to 20-second time penalty for potentially dangerous driving.

Max Verstappen (Red Bull) put on a sensational performance in Q3 setting the fastest lap then beating it to be the only driver to dip into the 1m15s lap times. Almost 5 tenths faster than his fastest lap in Q2. “It was a bit unexpected I think today in qualifying but very happy with Q3,” said Verstappen after the session. “I think both of those laps felt really, really nice and that was very enjoyable. It was bit of a tricky weekend so far but we managed to get there in the end, so I’m very happy with that.”

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) made a shocking exit in Q2 falling 2 tenths behind on pace to Fernando Alonso in P10. His teammate George Russell made it into Q3 and will start P7 on the grid. Hamilton will start P11. Mercedes will have their work cut out for them in the Grand Prix. With Aston Martin, Ferrari, Red Bull and McLaren all making leaps forward. Mercedes have not yet met the mark. If these set backs continue Mercedes will find themselves out of contention for a “top 4” spot.

Tsunoda Out Performs Ricciardo Again

Yuki Tsunoda made the cut to make Q3 again outperforming his teammate Daniel Ricciardo who finished behind in P18 after failing to make it into Q2. The controversy at Visa Cash App RB continues to stir as to whether Danila Ricciardo will be able to sustain these continued failures and keep his seat. Liam Lawson awaits his opportunity to shine after getting a taste of racing in 2023. Lawson turned heads last season after being called up for reserve driver duties due to Daniel Ricciardo injuring his hand.

With Ricciardo’s continued declining performances the whispers have started about an opportunity for Lawson to step in and help get Visa Cash App Red Bull’s season headed in the right direction.

Qualifying Results for the Australian Grand Prix