The Australian Grand Prix was a forgetful weekend for Max Verstappen. Despite qualifying for the race in pole position, the Dutchman suffered a mechanical failure in Lap 4 of the race, leading to a DNF. Sergio Perez also struggled with aerodynamic issues while his car suffered underbody damage on a curb. However, in the build-up to the upcoming Japanese GP, Helmut Marko is far from worried about the same issues arising again.
Verstappen suffered the most of any Red Bull driver (V-CARB included) in Australia owing to a brake issue. An assembly issue in the car led to the same, with the calipers being no cause for concern. Hence, Marko claimed he wasn’t worried about the race in Japan. Via Laola1, Marko said,
“I have no worries for Japan. That’s not a problem”
The 80-year-old added that Suzuka is a track which suits the Red Bull car. It is a “power track,” according to Marko, and his team should be able to get back to winning ways. Additionally, Verstappen has a good track record in Japan where last year, he won the race over 19 seconds ahead of P2 finisher Lando Norris.
In 2023, Verstappen came into the Japanese GP right after losing the Singapore GP to Carlos Sainz. This year, he will travel to Suzuka again having lost the previous outing to the same driver. Hence, Verstappen will be hoping to replicate the same result as last year.
Max Verstappen looking forward to the Japanese Grand Prix
In the last four years, the Japanese Grand Prix has taken place twice (2022 and 2023). Unsurprisingly, Max Verstappen achieved victories in both races. He won the ’22 edition of the race by a little over 27 seconds. Meanwhile, he took last year’s win by over 19 seconds. Hence, it is not an overstatement to say that Verstappen loves a drive in Suzuka. In contrast, Red Bull’s outing in Melbourne was one to forget.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz took full advantage of the same and delivered a statement victory. Hence, hopes are high for an exciting battle in Suzuka. Nonetheless, Verstappen is looking forward to racing there. Per GPBlog, Verstappen claimed Suzuka is one of his favorite circuits. He claimed he really enjoys being there. Furthermore, the team’s relationship with Honda and the Japanese fans is something to look forward to for Verstappen.
Although it is still early days, Verstappen is not far ahead of Charles Leclerc (P2) in the standings. The Red Bull driver is just 4 points ahead of Leclerc, and will be looking to build a comfortable gap to the Ferrari driver.
