Red Bull dominates the Suzuka race with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez finishing in first and second place, despite their concerns that the competition was closing in. Carlos Sainz, in his last race for Ferrari, came in third in Japan, but will soon be out of a job. Charles Leclerc played a supporting role for his departing teammate throughout the weekend. Although they couldn’t secure a win, Ferrari had a strong performance and is currently just behind Red Bull in the 2024 Formula 1 World Championship.
After three years under the new regulations, Mercedes is still struggling to find the right formula for success with their Traktor W15. Lewis Hamilton seemed confident before the race, but on Sunday afternoon, he appeared eager to leave and expressed his frustration with the media questions. It was clear that he prefers the Red Bull team.
Other topics discussed during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend included Daniel Ricciardo’s continued decline, Williams team misfortunes, McLaren’s unpredictable performance, and Fernando Alonso’s impressive performance against Lance Stroll. These stories were headlines throughout the weekend.
Finally, Paul and Jad have already declared Max Verstappen the 2024 Formula 1 World Champion after just four races, with 20 still to go in the season.