As expected, Max Verstappen has once again asserted his dominance, clinching pole position for Red Bull. However, behind this predictable narrative lies a tale of intense battles, surprising twists, and the relentless pursuit of perfection on the track.
Let’s take a look at what the telemetry data says, whether the upgrades prepared for Japan were good, and which team has best aerodynamically prepared for Suzuka. What can we expect from the race and who are the main contenders to challenge Max?
Additional reporting by Pablo Hidalgo
In the article where we analysed the free practices, we talked about how the change in the timing of the Japanese race had a significant impact on performance. Last year we had Suzuka in September, whereas now we are racing here in early April, which is a big difference, primarily in track temperature.
However, despite this change, what has mostly influenced the drastically better qualifying times compared to 2023 is the aerodynamic improvements of the cars. Aston Martin is the team that has definitely progressed the most – the difference between the 2023 and 2024 qualifying rounds in Q3 is a staggering 1.77 seconds, which is impressive.
Let’s recall that Aston Martin significantly improved the aerodynamics of the sidepods and the rear part of the car during the off-season. This gave them an additional boost in maximum speeds, as well as in downforce. Last year’s AMR23 was very weak on a track like Suzuka, while this year things are quite different, thanks to the excellent work of the aerodynamic team.
For example, McLaren performed very well in the first sector, with minimal deficit behind Red Bull. Their DRS plane was much more loaded compared to other teams, bringing high speeds in the DRS zone and enough grip through the “S” curves.
La configuración de alas traseras para Suzuka
Suzuka rear wing configuration #f1 #JapaneseGP pic.twitter.com/EytLgHbRXR
— Albert Fabrega (@AlbertFabrega) April 4, 2024
Ferrari’s performance was below expectations in qualifying. We can see that they were good enough in the first two sectors, but much worse in the third one.
