There is something special about the Japanese Grand Prix, and more specifically, Suzuka. Nestled in the hills, not far from the coast, it is a shrine to motorsport and its glorious (sometimes dark) history. It’s a properly old-school circuit and has charm and gravitas because of it.
It also has arguably the most passionate and engaged fans anywhere on the planet, who flocked to the circuit despite the fact there were no cars on track today in the hope of catching a glimpse of their favourite driver.
Thursday of a Formula 1 weekend is the media day when all drivers front the press and a barrage of questions. It’s a chance to reflect on the previous race and pull at developments since.
In Suzuka, the main talking point was Fernando Alonso’s penalty at the Australian Grand Prix a little under two weeks ago. It divided opinion and the comments from drivers raised two interesting points. One was that most didn’t agree with the stewards in Melbourne, and the other was concern for the Albert Park track layout.
An offshoot of that was comments made by Carlos Sainz in the FIA Press Conference, who called for changes to the suspension of cars as the sport looks to 2026. The next generation of rules hasn’t yet been set in stone, with the most recent race winner suggesting something needs to be done to better look after the drivers – who cop a battering in the current ground effect machines.
The FIA has introduced a new Thursday schedule for 2024 designed to avoid clashes. Previously, teams would schedule sessions with drivers at a time that suited them, which often meant clashes. Now, each team has a window in which to accommodate broadcast and written media, a pragmatic solution that means we no longer have to decide between speaking with Charles Leclerc or Lewis Hamilton.
It makes for a long day, with Nico Hulkenberg the first cab off the rank just before 10:00 this morning, and the final driver session belonging to Sergio Perez at close to 15:00 with next to no downtime in between.
Ricciardo’s session fell at 11:00 and the Aussie was cautiously optimistic as he jovially swatted away criticisms that have followed him since the lead-up to the Australian Grand Prix. There is undeniably pressure on the 34-year-old, but unsurprisingly, it is less intense this weekend. RB has a new floor in Japan which will help his cause but won’t revolutionise the car.
The other Australian, Oscar Piastri, spoke confidently of McLaren’s chances. Piastri had a strong result here when F1 visited last September but it wasn’t a race he was especially proud of – despite the fact it netted him his first F1 podium. That opinion is based on his belief that it highlighted his need to improve his tyre management.
It wasn’t all work for Piastri, who spent some time racing radio-controlled cars with Esteban Ocon. The Melburnian started his racing career in the RC world, while Ocon too once dabbled in the hobby – last year he challenged Lewis Hamilton to a race in the Suzuka pit lane.
Speaking of Hamilton, he was in a mischievous mood as he stirred the ‘Sebastian Vettel comeback’ pot. Vettel commented to Sky Sports in the week that he hadn’t closed the door to an F1 comeback and had in fact discussed it with a few team principals, including Mercedes’ Toto Wolff. Cue Hamilton, who suggested the German would be a great fit to replace him, a comment that will generate countless headlines in the coming days. Whether it’s realistic remains to be seen, but he’s as viable a candidate as any other.
Track action here begins tomorrow at 11:30 local time (13:30 AEDT), with cloudy skies expected to dominate. Wednesday saw heavy rain lash the Suzuka area, but it cleared today with the sun breaking through for much of it. While the rain is not expected to return for the balance of the weekend, it seems the sun too will become increasingly unfamiliar leading into the race.
It promises to be an enthralling weekend, and probably an emotional one too, as the sport reflects on the death of Jules Bianchi, 10 years after the crash that cost the talented Frenchman his life.
