Analysis of Suzuka from Mercedes: problems in the first stage / Formula 1

Mercedes’ form also left a lot to be desired at Suzuka, George Russell managed to finish in seventh place, his teammate Lewis Hamilton had to settle for ninth place. Things did not go as planned in the first phase. Mercedes chief engineer Andrew Shovlin explains: “In the beginning the pace was fine, but after half the distance our pace got worse. We got a little stuck in traffic there too.”

And that had an effect on the tyres, as the Brit emphasized: “The tires get really hot at Suzuka and they’re a bit hot. If you’re still stuck in traffic, the level of grip drops and the car slips easily. We struggled a lot in the slow corners, the hairpin and the chicane, which are also not fast.”

“We lost a lot of time and it was very difficult, especially when we had a car in front of us,” says Shovlin in his analysis of the GP race in Japan. “It was difficult to get the cars in the corner and that cost us time in these two places.”

“And the older the tires are, the more they slide,” says the engineer, who at the same time admits: “I don’t want to say that we fully understand what the problem was, because time has not passed. since the race. That is one of the questions that we will address in the next few days, why we were so much slower than Charles Leclerc, for example, who had a very good first place, which was also longer for him.

Japan-GP, Suzuka Circuit

01. Max Verstappen (NL), Red Bull Racing, 1:54:23,566 h
02. Sergio Pérez (MEX), Red Bull Racing, +12.535 seconds
03. Carlos Sainz (E), Ferrari, +20,866
04. Charles Leclerc (MC), Ferrari, +26,522
05. Lando Norris (GB), McLaren, +29.700
06. Fernando Alonso (E), Aston Martin, +44,272
07. George Russell (GB), Mercedes, +45,951
08. Oscar Piastri (AUS), McLaren, +47.525
09. Lewis Hamilton (GB), Mercedes, +48,626
10. Yuki Tsunoda (J), Racing Bulls, +1 Round
11. Nico Hülkenberg (D), Haas, +1 lap
12. Lance Stroll (CDN), Aston Martin, +1 Round
13. Kevin Magnussen (DK), Haas, +1 Lap
14. Valtteri Bottas (FIN), clean, +1 lap
15. Esteban Ocon (F), Alpine, +1 Round
16. Pierre Gasly (F), Alpine, +1 Round
17. Logan Sargeant (USA), Williams, +1 Round
outside
Guanyu Zhou (RCH), Sauber, Elektrik
Alex Albon (T), Williams, Crash
Daniel Ricciardo (AUS), Racing Bull, Crash

World Championship Standings (after 4 out of 24 Grands Prix)

the driver
01. Verstappen 77 points
02. Perez 64
03. Leclerc 59
04. Sainz 55
05. Norris 37
06. Plate 32
07. Russell 24
08. Alonso 24
09. Hamilton 10
10. Walk 7
11. Tsunoda 7
12. Oliver Bearman (GB) 6
13. Hulkenberg 3
14. Magnussen 1
15. Alboni 0
16. Zhou 0
17. Ricciardo 0
18. Okon 0
19. 0 gas
20. Bota 0
21. Sergeant 0

Builders Cup
01. Red Bull Racing 141 Punkte
02. Ferrari 120
03. McLaren 69
04. Mercedes 34
05. Aston Martin 33
06. Running Bull 7
07. Especially 4
08. Williams 0
09. Sauber 0
10. Alpine 0