F1 News: Damon Hill Claims Japanese GP Will Be "Big Test For Competition Against Red Bull"

1996 F1 champion Damon Hill makes bold predictions for the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix.

Author:
Lydia Mee
Apr 02, 2024

1996 F1 champion Damon Hill has forecasted the Japanese Grand Prix as a crucial challenge for competitors aiming to rival Max Verstappen and Red Bull's dominance, especially after Ferrari's victory in Australia.

Key Takeaways:

Hill identifies the Japanese GP as a significant test for teams competing against Red Bull, highlighting Verstappen's prior dominance at Suzuka.
Ferrari's performance in Australia suggests potential to challenge Red Bull, but Suzuka's demanding circuit may favour Verstappen.

undefined — Oct 23, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; Red Bull Racing Limited driver Max Verstappen of Team Netherlands

Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

In a recent discussion on the F1 Nation podcast, Damon Hill delved into the dynamics that could shape the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix. Max Verstappen's commanding performance in the previous season at Suzuka, where he secured pole position by a significant margin and clinched an emphatic victory, which secured the Constructors' Championship for the team at the time. The RB20's impressive start this season further solidifies Verstappen as the favourite for the upcoming race.

However, Ferrari's resurgence in Australia, marked by Carlos Sainz's victory and Charles Leclerc's second-place finish, has reignited hopes of a competitive rivalry with Red Bull. Despite Verstappen's untimely retirement in that race, Ferrari's pace was noteworthy, suggesting a potential head-to-head battle in Japan. Hill, however, points out the unique challenges posed by Suzuka's circuit, known for its high tyre degradation and demanding layout, which might tilt the scales in Verstappen's favour. Hill commented:

“I think this is going to be a big test for the competition against Red Bull at Suzuka.

“I think this is really going to test the aero efficiency, tyre wear efficiency in the car as well.

“But Ferrari are quick in a straight line, and it is a lot of straight line, a lot of high-speed stuff in Suzuka, and what I really hope is that Ferrari are able to take the race to Red Bull during the actual race itself.

“I think qualifying will still see Max on pole by probably a similar amount, two tenths, maybe three tenths or something like that."

Hill's anticipation for a closely contested race stems from his desire to witness a more competitive championship. A Ferrari victory, in his view, would not only invigorate the sport but also signal the possibility of Red Bull's dominance being challenged.

“The question is whether Ferrari have got good tyre deg, and we’ll be watching the FP1/2/3 on that one, to get some clues.

“But you have to say, the question is always going to be asked, did they win in Melbourne because Max broke down? We’ll never know the answer – so we need to get them to beat Max in a straight race.

“Once that happens, and I think they’re getting close – I think we’re getting close to that.

“And that may be wishful thinking on my part, not because I don’t want Max to win anything, I just want to see some racing, and I want to see a championship open up.

“But if they do, wow, that would be really shocking for the whole of Formula 1, because it means that something can be done about this Red Bull runaway.”

The conversation also touched upon McLaren's recent performances, with Lando Norris securing a podium finish in Australia. Hill commended the progress made by the Woking-based team with their MCL38, noting their continuous improvement and adaptation since the season's outset.

“They are making progress and looking more and more solid with every race that goes by.

“They weren’t happy with their first race at Bahrain and they were saying that they’ve got some changes, but they learned a lot in that first race.

“I think they’re gradually making some progress. They were strong, although they were unhappy with Saudi Arabia with their speed.

“They got their setup, I think, wrong for the aero setup for Saudi, but they seem to have got things in the sweet spot for Melbourne.”