After a weekend of slump in Singapore, Max Verstappen reclaimed familiar territory when he grabbed the pole in Suzuka. He dismissed all claims of Red Bull suffering due to TD after finishing half a second ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri to finish P1 in qualifying ahead of the Japanese GP. All the signs point towards a dominant victory for Verstappen, but Red Bull’s chief advisor Helmut Marko thinks there could be one roadblock, according to RacingNews365.
Verstappen was incredibly fast during qualifying. The lap he put in during his final Q3 run will be remembered as one of the best of all time. Behind him, however, was the McLaren duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. In Singapore, McLaren had pace, but they still couldn’t match the pace of the Ferraris, who were the fastest team that weekend.
These two! 🧡
Unseen parc ferme moments after Oscar and Lando qualified in the top three! 😊#JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/w48AhQcwV5
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) September 23, 2023
This week, however, the McLarens are fast. In fact, they seem to be the second-fastest team on the grid, right behind Red Bull. Additionally, data from the free practice sessions point towards the McLaren car’s having good tire degradation on the softs, which could be crucial for their opening stint. Marko thinks that this is something Red Bull should worry about.
Helmut Marko talks about the disadvantage Max Verstappen has
Max Verstappen will have the McLarens of Piastri and Norris right behind him when the lights go out in Suzuka on Sunday. Marko is wary of the fact that the Woking-based outfit will have a very strong start off the line, which could have Red Bull’s work cut out. If Verstappen tussles with Piastri and Norris in the opening few laps, it could take a toll on their tires.
Incredible qualifying, and an incredible weekend in general so far 👏 The car was really enjoyable to drive, @redbullracing 💪 Happy to be on pole!
Thank you to all the fans here at Suzuka for your support all weekend 🙌 See you on race day! 🇯🇵 pic.twitter.com/crhb50GYio
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) September 23, 2023
“We need to see if Verstappen manages to keep the McLarens in check in the race, because the tire wear is extremely high,” Marko said as per RacingNews365.
Because of this, Marko hopes that Verstappen retains the lead in the opening lap in Japan. That, the 80-year-old thinks, is the only roadblock that could potentially cost them a victory in Suzuka. Still, Marko seems confident that Verstappen will manage to hold on.
Marko sure that Verstappen will hold on
Marko explained the threat that McLaren could pose on his team in Japan on Sunday. Still, he is confident that Verstappen will use his skills to keep both Piastri and Norris at bay.
“I especially hope that we keep the lead at the start, so that Max can vary his pace himself,” he said. “McLaren has an even greater advantage when it gets warmer, because they have two sets of new hard tires, we only have one. However, if it’s a two-stopper and we keep the lead at the start, I think we’ll win.”
Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez meanwhile, didn’t do as well as the Dutchman. The Guadalajara-born driver will start the race from P5, and is sandwiched between two Ferraris. Red Bull will be hoping that Perez can make his way to the front, to follow Verstappen in bringing home Red Bull’s 7th 1-2 finish of the season.
