Formula 1 News: Verstappen was toying with his rivals in Suzuka

It is possible that Max Verstappen could have lapped the entire field in the Japanese GP, but instead just toyed with his rivals.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

It has come to light that days before the Japanese GP, Max Verstappen told Red Bull team boss Christian Horner just how many seconds he would win the race by.

No more.

No less.

“I played Padel tennis with Max on Wednesday, and he was properly fired up,” said Horner.

“I want to win the race by 20 seconds, Verstappen told Horner.

“And in fairness, he came within 0.7s of achieving that. You could tell from the very first lap in FP1 where on the hard tire, he was 1.8 seconds quicker than the rest of the field on medium or soft tires at that point, he was totally focused on this event.”

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing talks with Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner in the garage during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Japan at Suzuka International Racing Course on September 22, 2023 in Suzuka, Japan. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool

Verstappen’s fastest lap was 1.064s quicker than any other driver’s, and he wasn’t even trying to go for a quick lap.

So the question remains, could Verstappen lapped the entire field on Sunday if he wanted to?

Sergio Perez Struggled in Same Car

While Verstappen has toyed with the opposition all year long, teammate Sergio Perez has struggled. On Sunday his race was an unmitigated disaster.

It is assumed Perez’s last year with Red Bull will be in 2024. He’s just not fast enough.

It’s understood rookie Liam Lawson knew his fate before the Japanese Grand Prix; the Kiwi driver reportedly accepted a reserve driver role with Red Bull similar to Daniel Ricciardo’s this season in exchange for a guaranteed seat for the 2025 season.

Daniel Ricciardo deserves the chance to fight for his position, and once the eight-time race winner returns from his unfortunate injury, he’ll race to complete Red Bull’s driver line-up alongside Max Verstappen after Sergio Pérez’s contract expires in 2024.

It’s not confirmed which team Lawson will be racing for, yet it’s highly likely that it will be with AlphaTauri where he can continue his development until he’s ready for a seat further up the grid.

Hamilton and Verstappen – The Tire Whisperers

Helmut Marko has claimed that only Lewis Hamilton can match Max Verstappen when it comes to managing their Formula One car’s tires

Despite having 13 wins to his name this year, since the fifth round of the season, the Dutchman has hardly been challenged, allowing him to develop his skills in tire and race management, adding to his already immense talent.

After dominating the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, Marko told Sky Germany: “He has improved in terms of pure speed and apparently he rolls up his performance with the greatest of ease. That is really incredible.

“Moreover, I think he has gradually become the best at managing his tires. He drives sharply and quickly but maintains full control. I think that perhaps only Lewis Hamilton succeeded in that to the same extent.”