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Max Verstappen humorously remarked that had he been driving McLaren’s Formula 1 car, “you wouldn’t have seen me” despite clinching a commanding pole position and victory at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Red Bull Racing driver celebrated his fourth consecutive win at the Suzuka circuit, successfully holding off challenges from both McLaren racers in the grand prix on Sunday. His impressive pole position on Saturday marked a dramatic comeback after he initially struggled to find pace on Friday.
“When I arrived here, winning wasn’t on my mind — especially after the performance on Friday,” Verstappen told Viaplay post-race. “Securing pole was crucial for this weekend. I believe McLaren had a quicker car, but they couldn’t capitalize on their pace due to DRS limitations.”
When asked about the significance of his victory and its reliance on his driving skills, Verstappen replied with a smile: “I’m really pleased with what I’m doing. I prefer not to ponder what would have happened in that other car [McLaren]. If I were there, I think my visibility on track would have diminished.”
He quickly acknowledged the collective effort with Red Bull, highlighting how the team enhanced the performance of the RB21 car. “Ultimately, it’s a team that performs well together. This weekend, I had support from GP [Gianpiero Lambiase] and Hugh Bird, my performance engineer who also worked with me until the end of 2020. Our collaboration went really well,” he noted. “We made the right calls before qualifying. If you listen to the onboard footage, the communication between GP and me is seamless, which is crucial.”
Despite securing this significant win, Verstappen encouraged a level-headed approach moving into the next race in Bahrain, where he currently trails Lando Norris by just one point in the driver standings. “This was a fantastic outcome, but overtaking was challenging, and qualifying played a pivotal role today,” he stated. “This doesn’t mean we’re automatically on an unstoppable streak; it’s a reason to be content, but we shouldn’t let it get to our heads.”
Key Elements Behind Red Bull’s Success
Verstappen outlined three essential elements that contributed to Red Bull’s performance during the Japanese GP: the impact of clean versus dirty air, minimal tyre wear due to the new track surface, and cooler temperatures — a shift from previous seasons where Red Bull struggled in warmer conditions.
“By the end of a stint, you could notice they [the McLaren drivers] coming closer and attempting to overtake because my tyres were beginning to overheat,” he explained. “I think the cooler weather today assisted us in managing tire temperatures better, which has been a consistent issue for us.”
“There are many fast corners here, which complicates following closely behind another car. Tyres heat up significantly when you’re close to someone else. Every year, the cars improve, but so does the challenge posed by dirty air, making it harder to overtake. When lap times are closely matched and tyre degradation is minimal, it becomes incredibly demanding to make a move,” Verstappen concluded.
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