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The first day of running in the 2024 F1 Japanese GP is done and dusted. Unfortunately, one of the two sessions was interrupted by rain and hence we did not have much representative running from the teams.
The first session in FP1 saw Max Verstappen leap to the top of the timesheets. He was followed by teammate Sergio Perez, who showed impressive pace as well at the start of the weekend.
Red Bull is touted as a strong contender to dominate the F1 Japanese GP. The car is just the class of the field in all aspects, and the aerodynamic efficiency is key for a strong race weekend in Suzuka.
Having said that, are we looking at a Red Bull whitewash during the F1 Japanese GP qualifying as well? Let's find out in our predictions for Saturday.
#1 Max Verstappen secures pole position at the F1 Japanese GP
It does appear that Red Bull and Ferrari are not as far from each other as many would have suspected. The cars are much closer. Having said that, the RB20 still appears to be the better package, with the best part of all being the second and third sectors, where it truly unleashes itself.
Max Verstappen is on a four-race pole position streak coming into the F1 Japanese GP. Expect him to make it five poles in a row.
#2 Ferrari drivers will make it competitive
As we stated earlier, Ferrari does appear to be closer to Red Bull in terms of overall pace. The one issue, however, that should concern the team is Charles Leclerc not being too comfortable with the car. He's not hit the sweet spot yet, and hence that magical pole position lap will be hard to come by.
If Charles can find something special, he will be in pole position for the F1 Japanese GP. Unfortunately, his not being completely attuned to the car might go against him.
#3 McLaren will have at least one driver in the top 5
McLaren has not completely shown its cards yet this weekend. The track layout is just perfect for the team and when that is the case, you have to give the team the benefit of the doubt.
McLaren should excel in the first sector and should be the best of the lot. If the team is able to accomplish that, we could see both drivers challenge a top-5 starting grid for the F1 Japanese GP.
#4 Yuki Tsunoda makes it to Q3
Yuki Tsunoda has looked quite good in the RB on Friday. The lap times were great, as he continued to hover around the top 10 for the most part. The fast speed section in the first sector is where it does appear that RB has its advantages. The car's strong and it does seem to have the edge over the rest of the midfield contenders.
It remains to be seen what RB is capable of overall, but the car does appear to be the 6th fastest car at this stage, and when that is the case, one can expect Yuki Tsunoda to pull off a strong lap and find a place in Q3.
#5 Mercedes will have the 4th-fastest car
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton sounded as confident as he has all season with the car. The driver proclaimed on Friday to be the best the car had felt and didn't even want to touch the car until qualifying.
Mercedes should do better on the track, and the low temperatures should help but one can't rule out the prowess that both Ferrari and McLaren have in the fast speed sections. Expect the team to continue to be the fourth-fastest even though the car could be more competitive than earlier.
