After a surprise result at the Australian Grand Prix, Japan is next up on the Formula One Calendar. Just four points separate Red Bull and Ferrari, and only 11 points separate the top four drivers. Suzuka should see plenty of drama.

Ferrari v. Red Bull

The Scuderia are in place to overtake the defending Constructors Championship after a one-two finish in Albert Park two weeks ago, despite Carlos Sainz missing the Saudi Arabian grand prix due to emergency appendix surgery. Despite the setback, he still won in Melbourne.

While Red Bull remain the clear favorites, especially given their history at Suzuka, they have tough competition that could cause them to fall  from first in the Constructors Championship. Ferrari have also proven they have the pace to be the nearest competition and can absolutely take down Red Bull. 

Another potential contender is McLaren, who also have a great history at Suzuka. Lando Norris also wasn’t too far off pace from Carlos Sainz in Melbourne, so be on the lookout for a third team to compete at Suzuka. 

Williams Chassis Problems

Australia was a difficult time for Williams after they were unable to get points on the board and only had one car take part in the race. The reason behind that single-car lineup has shown a big problem in Williams this season that might cause more issues  for them down the line.

To start, Alex Albon crashed in Free Practice One, which was suboptimal because Williams had only built two chassis for this part of the season. With no spare time available,that put team principal James Vowles into a difficult position. He chose to ask Logan Sargeant to withdraw from the race, which Sargeant did gracefully.

Albon almost made the most of the situation, finishing one place out of points. But the repercussions of the decision have still proven to be  vital. They don’t know if they’re going to be able to fix the broken Chassis by Japan. Part of that is due to the distance between the team factory in England and Japan. 

Despite the dire circumstances, Vowles is optimistic that they can fix the chassis in time for the grand prix.

“We put measures in place to make sure the chassis was back here very early Monday morning,” Vowles said. “We’re in a good place to have the chassis back early enough for Suzuka.” 

However, they still won’t have a backup for the weekend. Williams hopes the Sargeant can provide the same pace he made last year at Suzuka, just without the crash he made in Q1. 

The George Russell Crash

On the last lap in Australia, George Russell crashed on the entrance to the back sweeping straight from turn 7 to turn 8 in Albert Park. The crash was suspicious enough to the stewards for them to look into the crash due to the way Fernando Alonso had driven into the turn ahead of Russell. 

They deemed Alonso to have driven in a “potentially dangerous” manner after lifting off the brakes far earlier than called for. However, he was handed an extreme 20-second penalty despite not even making physical contact with Russell. It will be a major question during Thursday’s media sessions for the drivers to share their opinions on the decision. 

The Driver Market

After Carlos Sainz won the Australian Grand Prix, Red Bull is looking to possibly bring him in, given his contract with Ferrari will end after the season finishes. Sainz is the only driver not in a Red Bull to win a race since the end of 2022. With that plus his comeback performance, his stock in the market has dramatically increased, and early deals could come into play soon. 

Prediction for the Race

While the Scuderia may have the momentum going into Japan, Red Bull has had extremely strong results from the track in its history. Red Bull should be able to get at the minimum one podium spot if they can keep the engine and the brakes intact. A Red Bull one-two would be ideal, but they will have a tough battle with the pace of the Ferrari.