For Red Bull and the Japanese giant, the F1 Japanese GP is a special event, despite the fact that the partnership with Honda officially ended at the close of the 2021 season. This year marks the 60th anniversary of Honda’s first win in the top category, as well as the successes achieved with the Milton Keynes team under the HRC banner. However, the weekend in the Land of the Rising Sun hasn’t started in the best possible way.
Among the top teams, the Austrian squad was the only one to bring a couple of small updates, which we will delve into from a technical perspective later on. We’re talking about a revision of the lower wishbone cover and the fairing in the rear wheel bodywork. Nothing capable of transforming the current competitiveness level of the RB21, to be clear, but if they exist, it means they can help.
We’re talking about the RB21, a car that so far has never shown itself to be ready in the early sessions of race weekends. Once again, the team led by Christian Horner will have to radically revise the base setup chosen for this weekend. What’s concerning isn’t so much the gap from the front—which could have been even larger if Lando Norris had completed a “monstrous” lap—but rather the handling of the Austrian car.
The RB21 doesn’t give Max confidence
Last year Verstappen and Perez dominated at Suzuka, giving the impression of repeating a triumphant season like the previous one. But today, the Austrian team is struggling. The second hour of free practice, heavily disrupted by numerous neutralisations, didn’t allow much data to be gathered. A problem that all teams will have to face, of course.
Red Bull is very skilled at interpreting the data collected to improve the car’s balance. Verstappen completed only nine laps, while home hero Yuki Tsunoda did just three more than his counterpart. Jos’s son appeared visibly frustrated at the end of FP2. Max, in fact, admitted he had no confidence at all in how the car was behaving—on a track where one must attack the corners with absolute trust in their machinery.
It’s likely that the setup of car number 1 doesn’t bring out the best in the Dutchman, who prefers a highly responsive front end. On the other hand, Yuki Tsunoda expressed satisfaction with the first two sessions. Most likely, Red Bull engineers allowed the home driver to run with a slightly more aggressive engine mapping, a choice dictated by the need to understand how well the Japanese driver could adapt to the target operating conditions.
Max’s ignored alarm bell
It’s only Friday, but seeing the two Racing Bulls ahead of Max Verstappen is striking. Isack Hadjar is discovering the Japanese circuit, while Lawson has shown a good reaction after his failed stint with the Austrian team. If Horner and the engineers were worried about the emotional state of the New Zealander, it can be said that Liam Lawson showed signs of life.
At the Faenza-based team, he may find peace of mind—and perhaps the comfort zone—that could help him rebuild his career path. In this regard, Max Verstappen’s recent statements come to mind. Against expectations, he clearly said he wouldn’t be surprised if Liam Lawson managed to perform significantly better in the Italian team’s car.
After all, Verstappen has made it very clear that the drivers are the least of the team’s problems right now. He said so in light of the RB21’s technical gap compared to the competition. An alarm that remains unheard for now, or one the team cannot fix. A shift in design philosophy is urgently needed, because it’s now clear that neither trackside excellence nor Max’s immense talent can compensate for the car’s technical shortcomings.
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