Ferrari surprised everyone (probably including themselves) when they won the Singapore Grand Prix last time out, with Carlos Sainz Jr. doing the honours of claiming the chequered flag. It is their first win of the 2023 Formula 1 season, and they’re hoping that there’s more to come with just a few races left.
And now as we head to the Japanese Grand Prix, confidence is high for the Scuderia as they have their eyes on P2 of the constructors’ championship while trying to delay Max Verstappen’s coronation in the process.
Ferrari have a great history here in Suzuka, but they haven’t won on this circuit in quite some time. But given how last week went, are they capable of producing great Japanese Grand Prix 2023 results?
Without further ado, here are some talking points ahead of this weekend’s race, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Ferrari closing the gap
For the second consecutive race, Carlos Sainz Jr. took pole position, and he finally converted it into a much-needed victory in Marina Bay, which also happens to be Frederic Vasseur’s maiden win as Ferrari boss.
Sainz Jr.’s Singapore Grand Prix win is also the team’s first victory since Leclerc won in Austria last term.
Last weekend, Sainz Jr. controlled the race from start to finish. He expertly managed his tyres in the early phase to ensure that he could make it to the pit stop period in front.
And then he made the clever move of dropping back in the closing stages to make sure that his former teammate, Lando Norris, would pick up DRS to help fend off the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
It was a risky idea, but the “Carlando” strategy worked to perfection because Norris also finished second behind Sainz Jr.
As for his teammate Charles Leclerc, he did manage to tack on a good amount of points despite not being able to maintain his fast pace following a strong start. To his credit, the Monegasque driver finished P4, as he held Max Verstappen at bay in the closing stages of the race.
With a solid haul from Marina Bay, the Scuderia are now only 24 points behind Mercedes in the constructors’ title, making the battle for second even more intense as we’re heading into the final stages of the season.
Aston Martin slipping up at the wrong time
In stark contrast, Aston Martin had a torrid time in Marina Bay because they came away with zero points for the first time this season, which means that they have lost more ground in the fight for P2 in the constructors’ championship.
Aston Martin came into the race already at a disadvantage following Lance Stroll’s ill-timed crash during Singapore Grand Prix qualifying. Stroll had the option to race last weekend since he was fit despite the accident, but he decided to sit this one out to fully focus on this upcoming race.
So Fernando Alonso was left all alone to represent Aston Martin, and he had one of his worst performances of the year, as he was slapped with a five-second penalty that ultimately put him out of contention.
The two-time Formula 1 champion went on to finish 15th in a frustrating night in Singapore.
It didn’t help that Alonso’s AMR23 lacked power in Marina Bay, as the Spaniard called the car “undriveable” due to significant suspension damage.
History
Ferrari are yearning for their first Japanese Grand Prix win in almost two decades. They last won it in 2004, courtesy of the great Michael Schumacher, who has the most victories on this circuit with six.
The closest they came to ending their drought was in 2019, when Sebastian Vettel took pole position. However, Valtteri Bottas won the race to extend Mercedes’ dominance (at the time) at Suzuka.
There were no 2020 and 2021 editions of the Japanese Grand Prix due to the COVID-19 pandemic. And in 2022, Max Verstappen took pole position and won this race en route to taking home his second Formula 1 championship.
What are the odds?
Max Verstappen should be able to bounce back from last weekend’s fifth-place finish on Sunday. That is according to his FP1 performance a while ago and the latest Japanese Grand Prix 2023 odds, which have the Dutchman priced at 1.27 to win.
Meanwhile, following a great weekend in Marina Bay, the Ferrari duo of Carlos Sainz Jr. and Charles Leclerc are at 1.63 and 1.85 odds to win, respectively, while Lewis Hamilton, Lando Norris, and Sergio Perez are installed at 1.93, 2.11, and 2.27.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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