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The grid for the 2023 F1 Japanese GP is set and we have Max Verstappen starting the race in pole position with rookie Oscar Piastri alongside him. The race on one of the drivers' favorite tracks is going to be an interesting one. There's no rain predicted this time around and that would mean we're not looking at any delays like last season.
The 2023 F1 Japanese GP has been a very smooth one. There haven't been many strange crashes or surprising results either. Could the race on Sunday be any different? Let's take a look.
#1 Max Verstappen dominates the 2023 F1 Japanese GP
Lewis Hamilton had remarked early in the 2023 F1 Japanese GP race weekend that if Max Verstappen does not dominate this weekend and win by a gap of around 30 seconds then that would raise suspicions. There have been a few who questioned Red Bull's drop in pace in Singapore and pointed the finger at the technical directive.
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Well, as revealed by Max in the post qualifying conference, he took those comments as a motivation to do well. He's been dominant the entire weekend and let's be fair, it's going to take a miracle to beat him in the 2023 F1 Japanese GP.
#2 Lando Norris finishes on the podium
Oscar Piastri is taking all the attention and credit for starting the race on the front row and yes, he deserves it. The Australian still has a thing or two yet to learn from his teammate as his race management is still a little green (completely expected from a rookie). This will in all likelihood be a three-stop race and if that is the case one has to favor the more experienced of the two McLaren drivers.
Lando Norris should snatch a podium at the 2023 F1 Japanese GP. There could be a possibility of Sergio Perez using Red Bull's superior car to jump him in the race. Hence a P3 finish might just be the best result for the driver.
#3 Both Mercedes drivers secure a top-5 finish
Both Mercedes drivers will be starting the race in the lower rungs of the top 10 as the pace in qualifying was just not there. Having said that, the race will require a couple of things to get a strong result. The first is great tire management and the second is acing the strategy. Out of the chasing pack behind Red Bull, Mercedes seems to be the best at this and will make up places during the race. Will it be enough to secure a podium? Highly unlikely but a top 5 result is on the cards.
#4 Behind Max Verstappen the race could get chaotic
While one can just expect Max Verstappen to run away with it at the front, it will be chaotic behind him. There are expectations of a three-stopper from multiple drivers, and if that's the case then it could come down to how every team uses its tires and the strategy every driver employs. We're going to see plenty of divergent strategies this weekend and while Max Verstappen cruises to a win in the 2023 F1 Japanese GP, it's going to be chaotic behind him.
#5 No points again for Lance Stroll
Lance Stroll will be starting the race outside of the top 15 as he continues to struggle with the car. The race will feature multiple stops and we could ideally expect strategy and tire management to play a key role. That would however not help Lance in this case as Aston Martin also appears to be struggling with the race pace.
The car just does not have the performance of the top 4 teams and for Lance, even though the expected three-stopper should be an opportunity to capitalize and score points, it's highly unlikely that he would be able to accomplish that this weekend.
