Formula 1 returns to competition starting this Friday, a week after the Spanish-speaking Singapore Grand Prix. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) secured Red Bull’s first victory of the season and headed to Japan with the threat that Dutchman Max Verstappen would continue the dominance that has seen him record ten consecutive wins in the championship, an all-time record. .

A. Suzuka circuit, home of HondaIt will be Red Bull’s engine supplier until 2025, and after this year it will be a supplier to the Aston Martin team, making it an exclusive Grand Prix for the Austrian team.

Of course, unlike last season in JapanVerstappen will not be able to celebrate his world title this weekendIt’s only a matter of time before he has a 151-point advantage over his teammate, Mexican Sergio ‘Checo’ Pérez.

The Guadalajara native also hopes Red Bull can get back to where it showed in Japan for the rest of the season. And in Singapore they had their worst weekend of the season – Verstappen 5th and Pérez 8th – with both cars falling out of pole position contention for the first time since the 2018 Russian Grand Prix.

There was a sharp drop in performance upon arrival in Singapore, which Mercedes had already experienced during its period of dominance with seven consecutive drivers’ titles at the same circuit. In the German team’s case, these problems did not occur for the remainder of the Grand Prix; The Red Bull team also hoped to experience these problems, actively and passively ensuring that their problems had nothing to do with the technical directive. The FIA ​​implemented in Singapore to comprehensively measure the flexing of the front wings.

It’s a theory and a drop in performance that will begin to be elucidated when the cars take off at Suzuka for the first time this season. Some Free Practice 1 starting at 4:30am on Friday.

Carlos Sainz is the first anti-Red Bull

Spanish pilot lands in Japan In one of the best moments of his sports career He dominated the Singapore Grand Prix from start to finish after achieving his second victory in Formula 1. Tire management and race pace, as well as his final read on the attacking defense of the two Mercedes of England’s George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, were key to handing Ferrari their first victory of the season.

It’s the only thing Red Bull has failed to achieve to date, and it gives the rest of the grid hope of being happy for the remaining seven races in 2023, even though both the drivers’ and constructors’ championships remain in their sole hands. Austrians.

Continuing on the road with good dynamicsFerrari will unveil the final development of the year, the new ground where they hope to take another step in their evolution To fight for the championship next season when the rules are preserved.

Improvements were made in search of more aerodynamic load that could help the Italians on a circuit very different from Singapore, where fast corners take center stage, and there were similarities with Silverstone (Greater Brittany), although there was greater difficulty in overtaking and only had one DRS zone. It is the track where Red Bull, as well as McLaren and Mercedes, perform well.

Features that do not suit you should be removed beforehand. Aston Martin team from Singapore had the toughest weekend of the season. Canadian Lance Stroll did not start the race after his serious accident in qualifying – he will start in Japan – while Spanish Fernando Alonso finished the race in fifteenth place and became the last pilot to cross the finish line.

After a bucketful of cold water on expectations of better performance from his car last Sunday, two-time F1 world champion (2005 and 2006) Alonso does not have the best place to redeem himself in Japan for his performance. Aston Martin is expected to be Red Bull is behind Ferrari, McLaren and Mercedes.

A Japanese Grand Prix where Pirelli has opted for the hardest tire series (C1, C2 and C3) and the weather forecast calls for storms on Friday and clear skies on Saturday and Sunday.

Vettel returns to the paddock

German Sebastian Vettel, a four-time F1 world champion with Red Bull in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, will take part in the race weekend once again after retiring at the end of last season. And he’ll do it for a venture that has nothing to do with single-seaters.

Vettel will build Eleven beehives near turn 2 of the Suzuka layout, built by himself with the help of a local carpenter; with another gesture that shows their awareness of caring for the planet.