With the Japanese Grand Prix set to be underway, the paddock is going to be filled with teams in a variety of unique situations and circumstances. Some of the teams are looking to ride on with the momentum that they have established in previous races, while others, are trying to forget the past and hope for a fresh restart.
While the news of Red Bull's controversial decision to replace Lawson with Tsunoda has been the talk of the town, Ferrari's desperate need for points is another big topic coming into the weekend.
Let's dive into Ferrari's difficult position, my prediction result from the Chinese Grand Prix, and my predictions for the race in Suzuka.
CAN THE PRANCING HORSES DELIVER?
The Chinese Grand Prix was quite the emotional rollercoaster for the Tifosi fans all around the globe. One moment the fanbase felt like they were on top of the world, and the next day, they are questioning what in the world just happened. The celebrations started on Friday with the outstanding result of the sprint qualifying.
Lewis Hamilton managed to top the timing tables in front of both the McLarens and an impressively quick Verstappen which raised eyebrows all around the grid. When Hamilton was asked about attaining pole position, the Britain said he was 'gobsmacked' which highlights his delight for achieving an unexpected front row placement. Hamilton now had a golden opportunity to achieve Ferrari's first ever sprint win, which he in fact did.
The seven-time world champion put pedal to the metal and eased his way to the race win. Ferrari were showing signs of progress after a horrendous Australian Grand Prix, and they were looking forward to Sunday's events. But once qualifying came around, the once highly positive emotions had cooled down a couple of notches. Ferrari ended the session with a decent result of P5 and P6 which isn't bad but the Scuderia were hoping to muster a little bit more performance out of the SF-25.
Then, the dreaded race day began. Ferrari ended the race in P4 and P6 which would have given them 20 world championship points, but an unexpected double disqualification threw all of their hard work into the bin. It's incredibly rare for one car to get hit with the race ban, but for two cars within the exact same team, it’s even more out of this world. Ferrari are desperate for a monumental result in China due to the fact that they are 61 points behind the leading constructor.
CHINESE GRAND PRIX PREDICTION RESULT
My first prediction was that the man from Monaco would finish P5 or higher on Grand Prix Sunday. Leclerc started the race on the wrong foot when a collision with his teammate caused the end plate of his front wing to break off. The Monegasque driver had to navigate the circuit with downforce limitations, but he still prevailed and claimed a solid P4 placement. But as mentioned in the previous discussion, Leclerc's car was found to have violated rules surrounding the weight requirements which stripped away all of his points and placement results. While my first prediction turned out to be incorrect, this situation actually lead to my second prediction turning out to be true.
My second prediction was that both Williams drivers would score in the points on Sunday. Alex Albon felt incredibly confident throughout the race and was able to cross the checkered flag in P9. Sainz on the other hand needed a bit of luck in order to find himself finishing within the top 10. When the three disqualifications had been put into effect, it was just enough to move the Spaniard from P13 to P10. With these results, I am now three for four in my race day predictions.
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX PREDICTIONS
The Japanese Grand Prix is set to kick off the first triple header of the season so let’s make some predictions. My first prediction is that Yuki Tsunoda will achieve a podium finish at his home race. Now this is a pretty bold prediction considering that Red Bull’s car has proven to be quit difficult to drive and the competition out front is extremely competitive, but I think Tsunoda will thrive under pressure. Tsunoda has been waiting his entire career for an opportunity to race along Verstappen, and he is going to leave every ounce of performance out on track. My second prediction is that George Russel will also finish on the podium at the Japanese Grand Prix. Russel has been Mr consistency since the season has started finishing P3 in both of the Grand Prix races. I think that he will keep this momentum going and will find himself celebrating his third podium of the season.