Mercedes “diversa in ogni curva”

13:57 Uhr
End of workday

In Suzuka, it is already 9:00 PM, and because our clocks are ticking according to Japanese time this weekend, we are also turning off our ticker for now. We will be back with a new edition tomorrow.

For all night owls, our Session Ticker for FP1 will start at 4:30 AM CEST on Friday, with the second practice session scheduled for 8:00 AM our time.

I now hand over to Kevin Scheuren and Christian Nimmervoll, who will summarize today’s media day live on the Formel1.de YouTube channel for you.

The following topics are planned:
– Will Verstappen stay at Red Bull?
– Russell vs. Alonso
– Chances for Red Bull, Ferrari, McLaren & Mercedes
– Ricciardo under pressure
– Alpine update
– Questions from channel members

Enjoy and see you tomorrow!

13:48 Uhr
Norris: McLaren has been the third fastest team so far

We have already talked about how McLaren placed both cars on the podium in Suzuka last year. And Lando Norris believes that they will have “a good weekend” again in 2024.

“I think Max will be back on form,” he predicts, mentioning that there will be a battle between Ferrari and McLaren. “I think we can keep up with Ferrari because high-speed corners are more prominent here,” Norris says.

“I think in the first few races, we were probably the third fastest team on average [behind Red Bull and Ferrari],” he emphasizes and hopes that this will not change in Japan.

The standings also support Norris’ theory, as McLaren is currently in third place in the championship after the first three races, behind Red Bull and Ferrari.

13:27 Uhr
Stroll: Penalty for Alonso was “ridiculous”

Returning to the Alonso penalty, Lance Stroll has also expressed his opinion on it. “To be honest, I found it ridiculous,” he defends his Aston Martin teammate.

“I don’t think he did anything stupid. He was just setting up for the corner exit,” he emphasizes, pointing out that there wasn’t even any contact.

“So, I didn’t really understand it,” he shrugs and asks, “Where do you draw the line between driving unnecessarily slow and tactical maneuvering?”

According to Stroll, his teammate was simply being “tactical” in Melbourne. “It’s not like he braked and George crashed into him from behind,” Stroll points out, expressing his disagreement with the penalty.

13:11 Uhr
First Friday driver in action

Speaking of Japanese drivers, there will indeed be a second Japanese driver in Formula 1 this weekend in Suzuka – but only in the first practice session on Friday.

Red Bull Junior Ayumu Iwasa will take over Daniel Ricciardo’s Racing Bulls cockpit during the session. He is the first Friday tester to be used this season.

You can find the complete overview of all Friday drivers for 2024 here!

12:55 Uhr
Speaking of Tsunoda…

At his home race, the Japanese driver also has a special helmet. It was created in collaboration with a Japanese artist (whose name I must admit I have never heard of).

Here is what the helmet looks like:

12:46 Uhr
Tsunoda: Why are there hardly any Japanese drivers in Formula 1?

The Racing Bulls driver, who is once again the only Japanese driver at Suzuka this year, was asked why many of his compatriots struggle to make it to the pinnacle of motorsport.

Tsunoda explains: “[Japan is] very far from Europe. And I think you need to race in junior categories in Europe to get a Super License.” Additionally, teams there are looking for talents.

Therefore, going to Europe at a young age makes it easier. However, not everyone takes this step, as language, for example, is a barrier. Many Japanese people do not speak good English, Tsunoda says.

This also makes communication with engineers difficult, he reports from his own experience. So, not the best conditions if you want to make it to Formula 1.

12:29 Uhr
Abu Dhabi 2021: What happened next…

Peter Bayer is now the CEO of Racing Bulls – and at the legendary season finale in Abu Dhabi 2021, he was the FIA’s Secretary-General and one of the most influential officials in Formula 1. Bayer was one of the first to speak with Toto Wolff after the race.

In this interview, Bayer speaks publicly for the first time about the encounter with Wolff after the controversial end of the race. He also talks about current topics related to Racing Bulls, such as the future of Daniel Ricciardo or what it is like to succeed a “tough guy” like Franz Tost…

12:11 Uhr
Leclerc: We are actually further from Red Bull

The Monegasque driver also spoke about Ferrari’s overall performance in his media session today and revealed: “I expect Red Bull to remain dominant this weekend, especially on race day.”

“I think we have a special strength on tracks where there is graining on the front tires. That was the case in Australia two weeks ago, and we were very strong on race day there,” he explains.

In Suzuka, however, that will not be an issue, “so I think Red Bull will return to where they were before,” he fears, adding that the championship standings currently do not reflect reality.

“I don’t think the four-point gap to Red Bull truly represents our true performance. Yes, we are closer than we have been in the past,” the Monegasque explains.

But in reality, Red Bull is still the benchmark.