With the culmination of the Japanese Grand Prix, the Formula One paddock has a week to recover from its Asian doubleheader before they move to Qatar.
The Singapore GP saw Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz break Red Bull’s winning streak, resulting in F1’s first non-Red Bull winner this season. The Spaniard was able to convert his pole into a win despite consistent pressure from McLaren’s Lando Norris and both Mercedes drivers.
The battle for the podium was tight and only decided on the last lap as a result of a late safety car and a gamble by Mercedes to pit for fresh tyres. The decision ultimately backfired, as the leading Mercedes of George Russell collected the barriers on the last lap while attacking Norris. This resulted in a DNF for Russell, with Norris and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton coming home to complete the podium.
The race in Marina Bay saw more action further down the field, with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen executing a strong comeback race after a disappointing qualifying with impressive overtakes on the street circuit to finish fifth behind Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Likewise, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was able to gain ten places and finish seventh behind Alpine’s Pierre Gasly.
The last three drivers to complete the top ten were Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, Alpha Tauri’s Liam Lawson, and Haas’ Kevin Magnussen. Emphasis should be placed on Lawson’s finish in ninth place, as these were his first F1 points since beginning his F1 career by deputising for the injured Daniel Ricciardo. This stellar substitute performance has led to him receiving accolades from across the paddock and from Red Bull team boss Christian Horner.
After a mediocre Singapore outing for Red Bull, the Japanese GP saw a return to form for the team. With Verstappen securing pole position and winning by almost 20 seconds, a result that saw the team confirmed as Constructors Champions, their sixth in their history and second in a row. However, as seen throughout the rest of the season, Red Bull’s second driver, Perez, was unable to match his teammate. The Mexican collided with Hamilton and Sainz on the first lap and then later with Magnussen after a lousy lunge, forcing him to retire.
McLaren continued to impress with a double podium, as Norris came in second and Piastri became the first rookie since Lance Stroll in 2017 to score a podium in their debut season. The Woking outfit is now hot on the heels of Aston Martin and will look to take fourth place in the Constructors Championship.
Leclerc drove an impressive race to finish fourth ahead of Hamilton, Sainz, and Russell. The British duo of Hamilton and Russell fought for position throughout the race, with the two swapping positions and pushing each other onto the run-off area. The spat between the two was only resolved by Mercedes’ use of team orders, giving priority to Hamilton and resulting in Sainz overtaking a slower George Russell on older tyres, thus rounding off a frustrating two weeks for the British driver.
The last three places in the top ten were held by Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin, who drove an impressive race to keep the French duo of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly of Alpine behind. The French team suffered yet another drama as a team order to swap positions caused Gasly to fume at the decision over his team radio.
The results of the doubleheader and the entire season have put Perez’s future at Red Bull in jeopardy. He has been consistently outclassed by his Dutch teammate and is now in danger of losing second place in the Driver’s Championship to Mercedes’ Hamilton. The Milton-Keynes outfit has repeatedly confirmed that Perez will drive for them in 2024, but rumours of a potential swap within the Red Bull driver pool continue to swirl.
Although the news that both Ricciardo and Tsunoda will be racing for Alpha Tauri next year, with Lawson being retained as the reserve driver, will provide some security for the Mexican, the six-time GP winner will know that he has to improve to retain his place at the top team. This is especially true considering Red Bull’s large pool of drivers and willingness to swap drivers with Alpha Tauri mid-season, as illustrated through Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly in 2019.
Ultimately, the last six races of the season will prove critical not only for the future of Perez but also for deciding both the constructor’s and Driver’s Championships. These battles are expected to go on until the last race of the season.
“RED BULL RACING” by iragazzidiredbull is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.