Japan: post-race analysis 2022

Bit unlucky with the bet as the only chap to aquaplane off on the very wet initial couple of laps (after which there was a red flag and over two hour delay) was Sainz, but these things do happen.

Off the line everyone was on inters, with Gasly starting from the pit lane. Leclerc unusually started well and almost got Verstappen who did well to retain the lead. Ricciardo, Tsunoda, and Stroll made up many places while Norris and Vettel (who, in very bad visibility, accidentally made contact with Alonso and got himself spun around) went backwards.

Albon’s car gave up on lap 1 and Sainz got unlucky, aquaplaning and saying hello to the barriers. A part of the hoarding ended up on the front of Gasly’s car and he was not amused.


Cue a long wait. On the plus side, I’d cunningly brought a book with me in case of such an eventuality.

 

When they got going it was on full wets behind the safety car for a couple of laps prior to a rolling start. Immediately Vettel and Latifi took a chance and nabbed into the pits for inters. It proved a wise call, propelling both into the points.

Midfield runners then the leaders did likewise, with Alonso, Ricciardo, and Schumacher comprising the top three and staying out a little longer. Haas took a chance with Schumacher, who was the last man to come in, hoping for a safety car, but it was not to be.

For a while, Verstappen (having reclaimed the lead) and Leclerc were in a league of two but it seemed the Monegasque had cooked his tyres. While the Dutch driver drove off into the sunset, Perez caught the Ferrari but was unable to pass. However, Leclerc went straight on at the final chicane and there will surely be an investigation and potential penalty for that.

Update: Leclerc got a 5s time penalty so Perez is promoted and Verstappen becomes world champion for this season.

Ocon will be glad of his Alpine’s straight line speed as it enabled him to keep Hamilton behind him for almost the whole race. Hamilton ended up 5th, ahead of Vettel, whose smart call got him a great 6th for Aston Martin. Alonso pitted late and was super fast, making multiple passes and catching the German to record the same finishing time. Rather tasty.

Russell was 8th and grumpy at the pitting strategy which had him stacked behind Hamilton. Latifi got an improbable 9th thanks to the early call for inters, and Norris could only manage 10th. Ricciardo was 11th so not a good day for McLaren versus their Alpine rival but mitigated slightly by reduced points being doled out due to the low number of laps (29/53) being completed.

 

Would Sainz have been top 2 had he not aquaplaned? Impossible to say. I’m inclined to guess no. But then, I didn’t think it’d be anywhere near that wet.

Next race is an actually good American circuit. We’re off to the Circuit of the Americas in Texas, in a fortnight.

 

Morris Dancer

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