Red Bull wins and dominates with Max Verstappen at the Japanese Grand Prix, a stunning weekend widely celebrated. The good news for the Austrian team goes beyond the team’s 123rd Formula 1 victory. Yet another display of the world champion’s immense driving talent allowed the Milton Keynes team to return to winning ways in rather surprising fashion.
On paper, the Japanese circuit was expected to highlight the strengths of the McLaren MCL39, but too many errors by Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri opened the door for a driver who rarely wastes such fortune. The layout of the Suzuka track, under normal conditions, makes overtaking quite difficult. A fact we clearly observed yesterday morning.
Strange to say, but the reigning world champion, by securing pole on Saturday, had already put a serious claim on victory the following day. The FIA will need to reflect on this because if the on-track action is lacking at one of the most beautiful and iconic circuits on the entire calendar, then the issue must absolutely be addressed.
Honda, the backup solution
For the race in the Land of the Rising Sun, Red Bull Racing paid tribute to its power unit supplier with a special livery marking 60 years since Honda’s first F1 win. A gesture of appreciation for the partner that contributed to the last four drivers’ titles and three constructors’ championships. Perhaps a sign for the future, despite Honda officially returning to Formula 1 next year.
They will do so by exclusively supplying second-generation power units to Aston Martin. The partnership between Red Bull and Honda has been mutually rewarding. If the Powertrains division fails to develop a competitive PU, there’s no rule saying Honda couldn’t once again supply engines to the Austrian team. There would be no major commercial obstacles if the Milton Keynes squad were unable to produce its new power units in-house.
The blue racing-colored team doesn’t manufacture road cars, so a potential failure wouldn’t damage its brand image. Ford will act as a technological partner, supporting the team with additive manufacturing and quality control processes. In short, the partnership could be revived as a “non-official” backup option, just like the past four years.
It’s not only Adrian Newey who brings wins
The Japanese weekend marked a historic moment for the multi-title-winning team, which achieved its first pole position and victory with a car not designed by the brilliant mind of Adrian Newey. In just over twenty years of history, the team has impressively racked up 123 grand prix wins and 104 pole positions.
Setting aside the indispensable value added by Verstappen, the group led by Pierre Waché now knows it is possible to win even without the genius British designer. The RB21 is currently far from being the best car. However, the first post-Newey victory brings not only excitement but also the confidence that success is possible even after the loss of many senior figures to rival teams.
The team’s technical project needs a performance step to satisfy Max’s hunger for victory. But on track, the team shows it is always on point, optimizing the current competitiveness of the car. For the team led by Christian Horner, a new chapter in its history has begun, in which success is no longer solely the result of individual design brilliance. For now, only one man is indispensable—and his name is Max Verstappen.
Leave a Reply