Formula One preview: Japanese Grand Prix

Rohan Brown
Apr 2
4 min read

Written by Rohan Brown, Edited by Marit Everett

Formula One is back after a two-week hiatus, this time heading to the Suzuka circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix. This year the race will play host to home-hero Yuki Tsunoda’s first race weekend with Red Bull.

This weekend will certainly continue the pattern of thrilling races we have seen at the two previous Grands Prix so far in F1’s 75th season. Suzuka has been home to many great races, and this year should certainly add to that.

The circuit

Suzuka was built in 1962 to be a test track for Honda, joining the Formula One calendar in 1987 - with that Grand Prix being won by Ferrari’s Gerhard Berger. The circuit’s renowned esses section is iconic, however Suzuka’s sole DRS zone means overtaking here is a challenge.

Last year, F1 tyre supplier Pirelli chose to bring the C3, C2, and C1s - the harder tyre compounds within the range. They will continue to bring this same set of tyres this year.

In terms of strategy, Suzuka is usually a three-stop race, although there are many different combinations that teams could pull together in Sunday’s race.

Storylines

1) How will Yuki Tsunoda perform in his first race with Red Bull? - After the driver swap between Liam Lawson and Yuki Tsunoda changing teams, this will certainly be the dominating story going into this race weekend. Tsunoda has finally gained the Red Bull seat that has eluded him many times, this pressure is also amplified by Suzuka being his home race. With the various issues the RB21 is being affected by - how will Tsunoda perform in his debut Red Bull outing?

2) Can McLaren continue their dominance into this weekend? - The Woking-based outfit have enjoyed an overall strong opening two rounds of the season. McLaren currently find themselves leading the constructors’ championship by a sizeable margin. Although this season so far has shown that success isn’t always guaranteed, will McLaren be able to bring out another dominant performance in Japan?

3) Will Lando Norris extend his drivers’ championship lead? - Lando Norris has had a successful beginning to the season, with a win in Australia and second place last round in China. With McLaren seemingly having the fastest car, and proving it on track with results that are going from strength-to-strength - will Norris be able to add to his championship challenge?

4) How will Liam Lawson fare in his first race back at RB? - After Lawson’s stint at Red Bull was cut short by the driver swap, the Kiwi will be aiming to prove himself in the junior team, especially against new Red Bull driver and home hero Tsunoda . But will he be able to improve his form after a so far underwhelming season?

5) Will Ferrari be able to bounce back after a poor start to the season? - The Scuderia haven’t had the best start to the season, with an eighth and 10th place in Australia, and double-disqualification last round in China. Ferrari certainly have the drivers, car and team to work towards improvements - so will they improve in Japan, or face another weekend of underwhelming results?

Winner picks

Lando Norris: Norris leads the drivers’ championship via a victory in Melbourne and second place in China, he has certainly proven so far that he is able to produce consistently strong results, combined with a fast car and strong team behind him. This is a pick that should be mentioned as Norris has the raw ability and consistency which makes a suitable candidate for victory on Sunday.

Oscar Piastri: Piastri is also a suitable candidate for victory, his win last time in China shows how he has been able to control a race from start to finish, combining it with an effective strategy. Moreover, Piastri has also demonstrated how he has the consistency to produce

strong results for McLaren, so is certainly a strong candidate for victory on Sunday.

Charles Leclerc: A more out of the box choice, but Leclerc has proven over his career that he is always a candidate for victory on Sunday. Although Ferrari have had a poor start to the season, the Monegasque has shown time and time again how he can control races from start to end - like his home race victory last season. The Ferrari driver has also shown strength at Suzuka in past years, finishing fourth after starting in eighth last year in Japan.

Notes

This will be Tsunoda’s first race at Red Bull since his promotion to the Milton Keynes-based outfit. This race will also be Lawson’s first one back at RB since his demotion to Red Bull’s junior team.

Norris remains the drivers’ championship leader going into this weekend, and his team McLaren currently lead the constructors’ championship as well.

Past winners at Suzuka

There have been many notable winners across Suzuka’s storied history in Formula One, with famous examples including the title deciders between Alain Prost and Ayrton Senna in 1988 and 1990. Both resulting in narrow championship victories for Senna, but providing iconic and historic conclusions to a championship battle.

More recently, victories at Suzuka were dominated by the Mercedes trio of Lewis Hamilton, Valterri Bottas, Nico Rosberg as well as Red Bull’s Max Verstappen. Such as 2015, where Lewis Hamilton secured victory by over 18 seconds, or last year, where Verstappen clinched victory by over 12 seconds.

Suzuka has come to be dominated by one team in recent years (whether it is Mercedes or Red Bull, but that pattern could well change on Sunday.