Japanese Grand Prix – The Top / Flop according to the editorial staff

The TOP 3:

1. McLaren, confirmation of the comeback

Nowhere at the beginning of this season, the Woking team is the true sensation of this second part of the year. Since Silverstone, McLaren is back in the fight for big points and this weekend, the British team was even the second force of the grid behind the untouchable Red Bull.

Second and third in qualifying, the Orange team finished in the same positions at the end of this Grand Prix, not without putting doubt in Verstappen’s mind at the start. A revitalized Lando Norris at the helm of a much faster machine takes along with him a dazzling Oscar Piastri for his first year in the category. The young Australian even secured his first true podium in Japan this Sunday, following his sprint race podium obtained at Spa (which also earned him the title of Driver of the Day).

A beautiful group shot that could allow the team to dream of the fourth place in the constructors’ world championship, where Fernando Alonso is struggling to maintain a struggling Aston Martin team.

2. Prestigious overtakes and magnificent fights: Hamilton and Mercedes put on a show

Too far from the fight to hope for a podium finish in this Grand Prix, the Mercedes drivers nevertheless distinguished themselves once again this Sunday on Japanese soil. Indeed, as usual, the German team wanted to let their drivers fight, which gave us a high-quality spectacle in a rather dull Grand Prix at this level.

And in this little game, it’s Lewis Hamilton who has gained the upper hand over his teammate George Russell. The seven-time World Champion also stood out with the most beautiful overtaking move of this Grand Prix in the ultra-fast 130R corner against a certain Fernando Alonso.

3. Verstappen without competition…

It would be reductive to attribute all the merits of such a performance throughout the year solely to the machine, no matter how powerful it may be. Once again this weekend, Max Verstappen crushed the competition by claiming his 13th victory of the season.

From Saturday onwards, the Dutchman was making everyone agree by securing a comfortable pole position ahead of the persistent McLaren drivers. Although at the start, the two-time world champion came close to being surprised by his young, sharp-toothed rivals, he managed to hold onto his first position and never let it go.

This new victory allows Red Bull to clinch the Constructors’ Championship for the sixth time in its history. A powerful combination.

The FLOP 3

1. … So a total lack of suspense and interest for the subscribers!

It is undeniable that the dominance of Verstappen and Red Bull is such that it almost does more harm than good to F1. Indeed, while dominance has always marked Formula 1, there was always at least some competition during the season, whether it was internal within a dominant team between teammates or external with one or several other teams.

However, this year, if we except the debacle in Singapore and the three first Grand Prix where Sergio Pérez still gave the impression, Max Verstappen and Red Bull are simply disgustingly easy, as was once again proven this weekend. The battles are well present within the pack, but the fight for victory should at least be more consistent rather than being limited to one Grand Prix per year.

The miracle solution doesn’t exist, but the fact is that the fans of the premier category are mostly on the same wavelength. This doesn’t take away from the exceptional work done by the Austrian team with their champion. But the truth is, the suspense has disappeared in Formula 1.

2. But where did the real Sergio Pérez go?

How far it seems the time when we believed in a fratricidal struggle between the double reigning world champion and his Mexican teammate. Since his crash in qualifying in Monaco where he seemed comfortable, Sergio Pérez is simply unrecognizable.

Often eliminated before Q3, making countless errors and not showing himself to be the best of the rest behind Verstappen despite having the same car, Checo is losing momentum. This Grand Prix alone sums up his slow descent into hell: starting 5th on the grid behind the McLarens and Charles Leclerc, he has a mediocre start and collides with Lewis Hamilton right at the beginning of the race, resulting in a pit stop for a wing change.

Go back to the back of the grid under a Safety Car regime, he is guilty of overtaking under this regime by accelerating too much at the exit of the pits, which earns him a 5-second penalty. Before once again showing his bad side by colliding with Magnussen at the hairpin and being forced to retire by returning through the pit lane.

The perfect synonym for disaster.

3. Sergeant, it’s starting to become a lot

He too is at the center of attention as his mistakes are numerous. Not assured of keeping his seat within the Williams team that is gradually rebuilding around his teammate Albon, Logan Sargeant is trying to prove that he deserves to keep his drive. Problem: the American driver consistently overdrives and puts his car in the gravel or even into the wall too often.

Perfect example of this Grand Prix where the American crashed in qualifying before sending Bottas into the wall during the race restart, ruining his hopes of a good result with a penalty and forcing him to retire halfway through the race.

With no shortage of candidates for his position, it is urgent for Sargeant to deliver a benchmark performance. Unless it is already too late?

The next round of the Formula 1 calendar will be followed in 15 days in Losail with the Qatar Grand Prix.