September 25, 2023
Hong Lau

It's Finally OVER (Formula 1 - Japanese Grand Prix 2 minute read)

Mario, Princess Peach go on a new adventure in the animated film, Super Mario Brothers

No one in the world expected a different result after our first race in Bahrain this year. Red Bull Oracle Racing have finally been crowned the constructors’ champions. Max is also a podium away from locking up the Drivers Championship for the third consecutive year. If you guys are avid readers here, you know that I don’t like Max and Christian Horner, but you also know that I respect greatness and give flowers when they are due. 


 

Red Bull has been a cut above every team on the grid since 2022, and it hasn’t been close since after the summer break of 2022. They have continued to push the boundaries forward with their unique wing that aids down DRS as well as a car with incredible pace, great reliability and easy on the tyre degradation. When I think of Red Bull and Max, I think of this uber-competitive, cheeky team. Well, when you’re winning and dominating at the level you have been, then you can be. 

 


They had an incredibly tough weekend at the Singapore Grand Prix due to the track and an inability to find the right window for the RB19. Some people questioned if it had to do with some of the new technical changes. Boy, was anyone that thought that wrong, they looked incredibly dominant, and it didn’t look close at any single point. It’s always an interesting (not really) / dominant race when you don’t see or hear about the race leader for 10-15 minutes at a time, lol. Sergio Perez had a very tough weekend, and I don’t expect him to be retained in 2025. I expect him and Danny Ricciardo to swap seats sometime during the 2024 season. 



Quick notes 

  • Lewis Hamilton has said that they need the greatest six months of development in the history of the sport to catch Red Bull; I second that. 


  • McLaren looks incredibly quick and overall the second-best car on the grid (considering pace on all tracks)


  • Lando Norris continues to prove why he’s the second fastest driver on the grid this weekend on his showing vs. his teammate Oscar Piastri. 


  • Aston Martin’s woes continue with poor development towards the year’s second half. 


  • The Lewis and George saga continues to play out; I think it’s overblown but can become a serious thing if they were competing for podiums

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  • Shoutout to Yuki Tsunoda for a strong showing on his home track