Oscar Piastri
Early contract extension with McLaren and the first podium finish: The Japanese Grand Prix was a thoroughly enjoyable one for Oscar Piastri.
(Photo: Peter Parks/AFP)
The talent calculation is that young drivers need around two to three years to really feel at home in the premier class. This even applied to exceptional drivers like Max Verstappen and Sebastian Vettel. But apparently not for Oscar Piastri. The 22-year-old Australian accepted everything that happened this week happily but rather calmly: early contract extension with McLaren until 2026, second place on the grid side by side with the world champion, in the end third place and the first podium finish.
At least back home in Melbourne, mom Nicole is showing a little more emotion. She lives out the excitement to the third degree, preferably in her own four walls, which is why she gratefully declined an invitation from team boss Zak Brown to the race track. Instead, after her son’s contract was signed, she wrote to him: “What? And this is going to go on like this for three years!?” She is now trying meditation so that she might be able to attend the season finale in Las Vegas.
Max Verstappen
The talk of the crisis in Singapore missed his racing suit. Different route, new luck, old Verstappen. The fact that he was able to gain a clear lead in training, qualifying and the race, especially in the ultra-fast corners, shows: there is no doubt about it. Neither in himself nor on his RB 19. Man and machine accelerate each other, the driver speaks of a “rocket car”.
So all it takes is a quick spark, three World Cup points, to achieve a hat-trick of titles the weekend after next. As much as he likes to let out his anger, he is now holding back his joy. Not that he takes the successes for granted, quite the opposite. But in Suzuka all the spotlight should be on his team: “This title is worth even more than last year’s.” This is how a real team captain behaves.
Sergio Perez
Something goes wrong for Sergio Perez in Suzuka.
(Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
The question of what share the Mexican has in Red Bull Racing’s second team title in a row can perhaps be answered this way: apparently the number two is responsible for all the bad luck. As if he wasn’t already unsettled enough by his fluctuating performance in qualifying, everything went wrong again in the hustle and bustle of the race. The man they call “Checo” drove off his front wing twice, received two five-second penalties and was then taken out of the race early – so as not to cause further damage to his car and his psyche.
But after 25 laps he had to be brought back into the cockpit. He had not served the last penalty, which would have resulted in a demotion in Qatar according to the crude Formula 1 rules. The rules experts at Red Bull noticed this, sent him out for one lap, received the penalty and pushed Perez back into the garage. This also made him a laughingstock.
Sebastian Vettel
At some point it was no longer the big buzz that thrilled insect hotel builder Sebastian Vettel at the Suzuka International Circuit. But the howling of the engines. The Formula 1 retiree stood behind the guardrail during training and told his old friend Timo Glock into the Sky microphone: “Watching here hurts. But I knew it would be difficult to watch here… I always have said that I would like to come back to Suzuka for a race.”
The 36-year-old is currently still searching for his true purpose and is using his continued great popularity to draw attention to issues that are close to his heart. He realized how big the world would be compared to Formula 1. And so the Swiss by choice brings the big topic of biodiversity into the small world of racing, with eleven houses that he can paint himself. His ex-colleagues were happy about the self-made project in turn two; for the Formula 1 drivers it was a kind of adventure playground. Formula 1 boss Stefano Domenicali was also happy about the publicity, he would like to turn Vettel’s activism into a real ambassadorial role – for more sustainable actions.
Fernando Alonso
Letting others go first is not really Fernando Alonso’s style on the racetrack. The oldest alpha animal in Formula 1 seeks philosophical support from the samurai. As a Japan lover, the 42-year-old has studied the controlled offensive: “Racing drivers and samurai fighters are very closely linked. It’s about discipline, self-confidence, fearlessness. Courage doesn’t just mean doing crazy things. Courage is when you go into the “When the fight goes on and not one percent of your head thinks you’re going to fail, you use your hunger to attack even harder than before.”
That’s what he did again, after a heated discussion about the right strategy with his engineer at Aston Martin: “You’re throwing me to the lions here!” He demanded a change in strategy, got it – and ended up eighth.
George Russell
Mercedes dreams of being McLaren and turning an unstable racing car into a winning car within one season. But Mercedes is Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have to wait and put pressure on the technical department. And for the time being they drive their own elimination race close to the podium. The two Brits from different generations of drivers clashed several times. Lewis Hamilton’s defense was so hairy that Russell complained: “Who are we racing against here? Against us or against the others?”
In the end the situation was reversed, but Russell didn’t want to follow the order to swap places. Until he heard a voice in his ear that made it clear: “George, this is an order.” Team boss Toto Wolff, at home in his hospital bed after an operation, had spoken a word of power. After the dispute, which was entertaining for outsiders, the result was fifth and seventh place. Will there be a sequel?
Logan Sargeant
If there is a bigger loser than Perez in Formula 1, then it would be the rookie from Fort Lauderdale. The 22-year-old already showed in Singapore that he was slightly overwhelmed by the situation. In Suzuka on Saturday he caused a lot of fire again when he drove the car into the lane without any need. Williams ran out of spare parts, but somehow they still got their protégé from the pit lane into the race. But not for long, then he was thrown out again – after a collision with Valtteri Bottas. Despite the US investors on the team, his place is at risk.
The Brazilian Felipe Drugovich, currently a substitute at Aston Martin, is waving interest and millions in sponsorship. New Zealander Liam Lawson, who is a year younger and narrowly missed the points in his fourth race for Alpha Tauri, shows how to do it better straight away. He will be a substitute at Red Bull next year, with a good chance of promotion. Sargeant on his fate: “It was a good day for me until the incident. I have to put this behind me.”