The Japan Grand Prix: The Disappointment We Didn’t Need

Welcome to Japan ! This week, we had high expectations for our drivers. Maybe too high… Unfortunately, the Grand Prix didn’t go as we had planned, let me explain.

Yuki and Liam

To start with, this third Formula 1 Grand Prix in Japan featured a major change between Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson, who swapped places in their respective teams. It was a demotion for Liam Lawson, who since the beginning of the season has struggled to drive the Red Bull and hasn’t managed to finish a race with points. This is frustrating for Red Bull, who are still aiming for the championships… However, this setback for Liam provided a huge opportunity for Yuki Tsunoda, who had been waiting for just such an opening. He wanted to prove that he could drive this supposedly undriveable Red Bull.

And he didn’t do too badly, considering he was driving a new car with little prior training. He finished 12th in the race. While he didn’t score points yet, that’s as good as or even better than Liam Lawson, who finished DNF in the first GP and 12th in the second. Liam, on the other hand, in the Racing Bulls, finished 16th… his Formula 1 debut has been tough.

A Quick Look at the Rookies

What about the other young drivers who entered Formula 1 this year? Well, some are thriving, while for others, it’s a bit more complicated. We even think that Doohan might not finish the season, to be honest. He arrived in Japan in 15th place but hadn’t done much better before, with a 19th place in Australia and another 15th in China. This is probably far from Oliver Oakes’ expectations.

Bortoleto is also struggling a bit this season. 16th, 17th, and 19th – it’s not improving…

As for Ollie Bearman, he’s impressing everyone, even though he’s in a Haas! 14th, then twice in 10th place – that’s not too bad at all.

The little darling of Atanaria in revenge, Hadjar, started with high hopes but faced a small issue in Australia and didn’t finish the race. However, he didn’t give up and finished 14th in the Chinese GP, and now he’s taking 8th place in Japan! A clear sign that perseverance can lead to great things.

Finally, our little protégé, Kimi Antonneli, the rookie of Toto Wolff at Mercedes. Despite his youth, he knows how to command respect on the track. 4th in Australia, 8th in China, and 6th in Japan – Toto must be proud.

What Happened at the Japan GP?

Well, not much. Really not much. No crashes, no wild comebacks, no major incidents. The final standings weren’t even that different. Max started first and finished in the same position. Sainz got a 3-place penalty because of an incident during qualifying (he blocked Lewis at a corner), and Stroll struggled the entire race, staying well behind the other drivers. That’s about it.

We’ve included a little table showing the overall standings just to remind you what happened, because, well, otherwise, what’s the point of reading this article? In any case, this GP didn’t really entertain us, and we hope the next one will be better.

Take care,