Autobayng News Team
The Japanese Grand Prix has unexpectedly become Formula 1’s last event before an unplanned five-week break. But that’s not the only change this weekend.
The challenge of tackling a lap of Suzuka will be very different for drivers of F1’s new generation of cars. Will the cars and drivers still astound us with their capabilities through Suzuka’s famed Esses, Degner and Spoon curves?
In the championship, Mercedes will look to continue their strong start to the season while McLaren must rebound from a grim weekend in Shanghai where neither car started. Honda will also be in the spotlight in its home race following its poor start to the season with Aston Martin.
Here’s a look at what’s in store at the third round of the world championship.
Will new rules neuter Suzuka?
Suzuka has always been one of Formula 1’s most celebrated circuits. Many drivers unhesitatingly name it as their personal favourite due to its sinuous, high-speed curves.
But how fast will they tackle them this year? The new generation of cars has been shockingly slower through some of F1’s most impressive corners so far, notably turn nine at Melbourne, due to the overriding need to conserve energy.
Drivers are also discovering that quirks of F1’s complex power unit rules discourages them from pushing their cars to the maximum on flying laps. Charles Leclerc’s slight correction on one lap in Shanghai provoked a significant loss of power on the back straight in qualifying two weeks ago.
The fans who bought tickets to watch one of the greatest corner sequences in Formula 1 could see a very different and far less impressive spectacle this year.
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Can Honda save face at home?
Honda have made an unsuccessful return to F1 as an engine manufacturer. Staff at the Japanese carmaker must be wishing their round of the world championship was back in its former slot at the end of the year, giving them more time to solve their problems.
Neither Honda-powered Aston Martin was classified in either of the grands prix so far. Fernando Alonso had to retire in Shanghai because of the severity of the vibrations from his power unit.
That doesn’t appear likely to improve significantly this weekend. Honda’s chief engineer Shintaro Orihara admitted this week they still haven’t worked out what is causing the vibrations. “In China, we made some progress in terms of battery reliability thanks to a reduction in the vibration affecting the systems, but we must find more solutions to establish the cause of the vibrations affecting the drivers,” he said.
Reaching the finish within a few laps of the leaders would be a success for Honda at the moment, but can they even manage that much?
Will Piastri get his season started?
The Aston Martin drivers have at least covered more miles than last year’s championship contender Oscar Piastri, who failed to start either grand prix so far. He crashed in Melbourne and both McLarens were struck down by technical faults before the start in Shanghai.
Surely Piastri’s luck must change this weekend?
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Where now for Wheatley?
This race 12 months ago was Jonathan Wheatley’s first at his new team, still known as Sauber at the time. But he won’t be with them this weekend having stepped down for what Audi called “personal reasons.”
Rumours insist Wheatley is actually on his way to Aston Martin, where he will take over the role of team principal currently held by Adrian Newey. Will his future plans be confirmed at Suzuka?
Will Antonelli get ahead?
Andrea Kimi Antonelli’s breakthrough victory in the Chinese Grand Prix has given him a strong chance of taking the championship lead this weekend.
But Antonelli owed his victory in part to team mate George Russell’s technical trouble in qualifying and the timing of the Safety Car in the grand prix. If he truly has the potential to be a championship contender, he needs to show he can win without the cards falling in his favour.
How will F1 respond to calendar disruption?
Ordinarily the new Formula 1 season would be getting into full swing at this time of year. But the cancellation of the two rounds which were intended to follow this one means the competitors are instead heading into a five-week break.
FOM opted not to replace either of its cancelled races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia during April. The series has left the door open for the races or replacements to take place later in the year.
But fitting yet more events into the tightly-packed schedule will not be easy. It remains to be seen how long hostilities will continue in the Middle East and how serious the effects of rocketing oil prices seen in recent weeks will be.
As of today the situation appears to be improving, but recent weeks have shown things can change quickly. Could more grands prix in the region or elsewhere fall by the wayside? That decision may be out of F1’s hands.
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Are you going to the Japanese Grand Prix?
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Who do you think will be the team to beat in the Japanese Grand Prix? Have your say below.
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