FORMULA 1 HONDA JAPANESE GRAND PRIX 2022: ▄▀▄▀▄▀ RACE ▄▀▄▀▄▀

Pierre Gasly given a 20-second time penalty and 2 penalty points on his licence for speeding under red flags as he passed the crane on track.

 

Imola, France, and today in Japan demonstrate that Leclerc has a problem simply overdriving the car beyond its limits. There was no need to do anything but keep the car on the road through the last chicane, but he just couldn't help but carry more speed than he needed to.

He'll have to stop doing that and learn that sometimes, you have to surrender the position.

 

Possibly tires issue but also is Charles as good wheel to wheel as we think??

 

He's second to Max, but a clear gap still.

Charles has not had a car capable of winning races but for only two seasons. He has but 5 wins to his name. It took RBR 5 seasons of Max winning a race or two each year, before he was ready to challenge for a championship.

Simple put, Leclerc needs more experience winning races before he can even think to win a championship.

 

I guess that under his apparent calm demeanour, Leclerc hides a very emotional latin character that comes to the surface when he comes under pressure. He can be amazing when he is in control, but may also suddenly lose his composure.
Several times this year, he has lost points in the last few minutes of a race when he fell apart.

 

Leclerc accepts penalty which ended his championship hopes was "correct" · RaceFans

 

So we better pray that Ferrari engineers give him a better car!
Tyres not working as needed is the factor behind many so called errors.

I don't blame Charles for having an instinct to fight to the end for position, even against an opponent in a much better planted car.

 

Then watch the opening races of 2022
If he has a chance to win, he wins, giving Verstappen a lesson or two.

 

I agree, I often think of Charles as a younger driver than Max.
But I realise that it is simply because he has spent less time in a top flight team with a winning car.
A sad reflection on Ferrari, since the between the flow controversy and now that they have not been a top flight team with a winning car.
He has all the talent, and he is a fighter which I respect so I am not un optimistic about him.
Ferrari just need to deliver a 2023 winner that doesn’t shag it’s tyres, and develop more as a team.
Will they or won’t they?

 

Again the car was just agonizing with its front tyres toasted.
I don’t know what it is so difficult to understand ?

 

Ferrari drama drove Leclerc to the edge.

After Miami, his title fight just crumbled in record time. He DNF'd in the lead at Spain and Baku, had the strategists cost him two wins in Monaco and Silverstone, and the car almost let him down in Austria again! He became desperate to drive what was a clear 2nd place car to win races it shouldn't win in order to keep the WDC hope alive, and it France he came unglued. By the time the Hungary clown show took place, you can see he was pretty much numb to the drama that had destroyed his title hope.

 

IMO to beat Max you need the faster car.

On single lap pace there isn't much in it between Leclerc and Max, but on race pace Max is a lot like Schumacher, at an insane consistency. Even on bad races (austria for example) he still has the gaps on his teammates. Max has shown insane ability from day one. Early seasons when he was a lot younger and much more inexperienced, he was always driving at 100%, which led to some inevitable results (be they wins or DNF's).

This is in no way a criticism on Leclerc. It's clear that over a race distance Charles also brings a lot, and boy has he delivered some insane quali laps. Leclerc has the odd error, forced or unforced. They are certainly excusable to a degree. If we compare that to Max who in an insanely high pressure championship last year, his biggest mistake was the Saudi crash in quali, they deal with pressure differently. I guess if we put it to historic drivers, this is a lot like Schumacher vs Hakkinen.

 

No, he's better....

 

Untill i see Charles with the same team suport max has, i cannot compare, i believe Charles is faster, and in terms of driving skils they're matched. Max has more experience, and a bullet proof car and team, wich is making the diference.

 

Respectfully disagree.
He’s a fighter and he had nothing to lose this time.
Our car is a lot more unstable compared with the RB18, their combo between aero and mechanical grip is unmatchable this year.
That’s it.
Don’t blame Charles for being a dominant driver.
Would love to see him in a planted Ferrari.

 

Certainly he is a winner. And tossed a chance or 2 this season. His consistency is lacking when needed to match speed and fewer errors of a critical nature!

 

This instinct of defending at all cost, knowing his adversary is in better shape, that's Leclerc's fault.
That brought an erratic last corner, an unsafe return to track and ultimately a 5 sec penalty.
Leclerc should have accepted the situation, yield gracefully, and saved himself the penalty.
Leclerc needs to be more analytic, drive more with his head, and less with his heart: that boils down to controlling emotions.
Max managed it successfully over time.

 

You are right
But his fighter mentality could very well paid off in particular circumstances one day ..
We will see.

 

A very unsatisfying day in F1.

All credit to Max though. He earned his title over the course of the season.

 

I rembember reading Binotto? (or someone else from Ferrari team) that Ferrari still don't understand the tyres on their car, to make them work in a race. A few laps are good, then the tyres feel terrible.

With a few race weekends left, will Ferrari improve in that matter? Because looking forward to 2023 season, RedBull has already much better package overall.

 

Jury is out on whether charles is better than Max. From my observations I don't think Charles is better, but I'm can't give a complete impartial view.

But I'm fully with you that Ferrari's first and biggest mistake all season was to NOT put their full support behind Charles from day 1. Was it confidence or arrogance, that they had the best car and believed they could let their drivers fight it out? Who knows, either way, entirely the wrong way to go about ending a title draught. Did they learn their lesson? I fear they haven't.

 

True. The Schumacher era should have taught them this lesson.

 

Max has a total package behind him, whereas Leclerc does not. That's the difference.

Red Bull learned after engine issues with Renault to switch to Honda, and they worked together as partners to build a package. After collisions between Max and Riccardo, they bite the bullet and made Max the official number 1 driver. Newey designs the car to Max's liking for oversteer and pointyness, and give priority updates. They're not ashamed to tell Perez to move over blatantly for Max.

Horner and Newey are not afraid to admit and learn from their mistakes. Horner learned he had to pick one driver to be number. Hell, one of the reasons that Red Bull is so quick on the straights is because Newey learned from the experience of Mercedes having the massive straight line speed advantage, and how close that came to costing them a championship, so he worked on aero efficiency for the new car.

Compare this to Leclerc's situation. Strategy and development that treats both him and Sainz as equals. Binotto wagging his finger at Leclerc in Silverstone. Rueda still having a job after destroying half a dozen races for Ferrari, and Binotto never admitting mistakes. It just goes on and on. Ferrari work against themselves, and it shows very often.

 

Ferrari is begging for a private testing session at a secret location, courtesy of Pirelli, to understand its tyres.

There is apparently no penalty attached to it.

 

If he is serious about winning a title, Leclerc will have to start playing the long game, and not be only focussed on the next corner.

It's about capitalising every instant, avoiding mistakes, gathering points, seizing opportunities, and staying focussed all season.