Japanese GP Conversation Points: Lando Norris VS Oscar Piastra, Red Bull’s questions unanswered, Ferrari’s early pressure

After the big winter charge, the new Formula One season certainly did not provide the end of the early drama and surprises on and off the trail after the opening of two circles of the campaign.

With the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuki Next Up Live on Sky Sports F1 This weekend we are entering some of the biggest topics that move in the third round …

Norris VS Piastra set up for a show of different McLaren Challenge

Two Grands Prix, two wins.

Any further confirmation needed after the pre -season testing that McLaren has the fastest car and that the team that will win at least at the beginning of the new season has arrived neatly through the introductory fourth F1 2025, as much as they can try to play.

The first -graders of the ruling constructions opened the season with winnings of return victories for the first time since 2003 and would almost certainly have a couple of two endings, but for Spin on the dry tires in Melbourne Rain, which proved to be so expensive for Oscar Piastra.

Piastra, however, immediately and impressively struck Shanghai to surpass Land Norris over the weekend Sprint and reduce the early title deficit to his teammate for 13 points at 10.

Max Verstappen and George Russell are currently between the McLaren pair in drivers, but on early evidence, Norris and Piastra will definitely be in the season in the season.

The victory of Norris and Piastra brought to the early questions about how they and the McLaren team would manage a steam with their heads to head to the driver’s crown deep into the campaign, while the pressure and the role increase.

Norris said after the race that they were “nervous” but excited “because of such a perspective, while the director of the team Andrea Stella said they had” tried to be ready for it for a long time “, they will still inevitably have to adapt to situations as they develop.

“Like all things in Formula One, it would be very arrogant to say” Oh, now we’re ready “or” We were ready, “Stella said.

“Learn because the scenarios are very complex, they never manifest themselves in the same way, so you just have to continue learning and, as you do on performance, reliability, surgery, also work in the way you manage the team.”

The further head to head duel is probably between the couple in Suzuki, the McLaren track has already spent well in the previous two seasons when Red Bull was still landscape. The question that will start learning a little more about the triple header of Japan-Bahrain-Saudi Arabia is how many other competitors will keep up with them.

Many unanswered questions to replace the Red Bull

Although McLaren could be considered as a look that they operate two drivers in accordance with the title luxury problem to have a series of roads, the problems of Red Bull’s rivals are currently more urgent and more pronounced.

The first focuses on the improvement of tempo and the compliance of their RB21 cars; Another attempt to turn the richest wealth in his swivel second seat.

It only took two troubled weekends from Liam Lawson for their confidence in the end of 2024 that the new Zealander was a driver in their stable to reinforce the challenge to disappear, with Yuki Tsunoda with regard to many promotions – including Japanese driver himself – thought he should have been his all the time in three months.

The Red Bull driver after China was suddenly how shocking he was and heard from all the key players in the heart of this story – Tsunoda, Lawson and team chief Christian Horner – for the first time personally through Suzuk, the weekend will inevitably be fascinating.

As he will hear Verstappen to take over.

If his, or at least his official account, ‘like’ a critical Instagram post The change is a reliable indicator, then the four -time champion is obviously not particularly impressed with what happened.

But what aspect of the decision can be dissatisfied? A simple fact that Lawson wasn’t given more time? That the latest change of teammates comes creates fresh instability when you should prioritize a better car for both drivers?

And what if nothing else, it all means for his future on the team?

All intriguing questions we should get key answers to this week …

Ferrari who need a big weekend

Their rivals continue to talk to them, but Ferrari’s beginning of the season is certainly insidious compared to the expectations in the preseason. They arrive in Suzuk, which is already needed by a strong weekend to start their title for the title.

For two very different reasons, Ferrari was at the center of the Big Two News event from the second round – Lewis Hamilton’s first victory in the order in Saturday’s Sprint, and then a double disqualification from Sunday Grand Prix, which Britain and Charles Leclerc brought out of the final classification.

Ferrari’s shame to watch their two cars excluded for various technical violations – for the first time in the 75 -year history of the World Cup that the famous Scuderia suffered a double DSQ – was one thing, and the other was that the loss of the fifth and sixth finish was underlined that he was already disappointing the race day.

Hamilton was the only driver in the first six to twice stopped at the tires, and while Leclerc was better for PACE after his teammate suggested that they replace positions, the superb speed of Monegasque was a bit confusing since he carried the damaged front wing for all 56 rounds in contact with his sister car.

In any case, Leclerc eventually reworked Verstappen in fourth place and finished 23 seconds behind the winner of the Piastra race, before the disqualification of his car was an overweight of 1 pound.

The double exclusion took away Ferrari of 18 points, removing them behind the reborn Williams in the fifth place in the ladder and creating a big deficit from 61 points to the dominant leaders of the McLaren Championship.

Speaking shortly after the race before he knew his cars had failed checks after watching after the race, the head of the Fred Vassur team emphasized that it was not time for panickers so early in the campaign.

Vassur pointed out that Leclerc’s race showed the promise that Chinese weekend up and down showed that all big teams had suffered the level of inconsistencies with tires, and they just needed to determine how to consistently pull the best from the SF-25.

“I think the gap with McLaren is a gap we had with Red Bull last year, that they made two or two in the first two races,” Vassur said.

“I think if I return to a press conference last year, I asked the question:” Do you think they (Red Bull) will be a champion in June? ”

“That’s why we have to take it with a pinch of salt. I’m sure they are in good shape, they are doing well. The pace is strong, this is clear, and I think they are a step forward, but that’s not the end of the championship.”

All true, but Ferrari certainly can’t afford much more difficult weekends soon if they didn’t lose contact with McLaren.

Suzuka: Challenge of timeless drivers

The race in the Japanese iconic circle of eighth year can now be located at the opposite end of the calendar to where it has become connected to some of the most famous sports titles, but, because F1 drivers will no doubt clarify in their interviews this week, regardless of the time of the year, it is a good time.

The F1 is now racing in Japan during the picturesque moon cherries or sacraura, and this definitely adds additional attraction to a annual visit.

One thing that has barely changed since the sport first visited Suzuk in 1987, is only 18 kilometers of 18 kilometers.

If the aspects of another driver’s favorite path – SPRA -FRANCORCHAMPS – have become a less challenge over recent years due to the evolution of modern F1 cars, Suzuka remains a fine speed and precision test thanks to the presence of Esses, Degners, Spono 130R on the name of only four rapid compartments of the most expensive Japanese cancer.

Monk’s narrow street -coated street -coated street can be widespread to the end of the ‘F1’ Circle to watch the driver at work in qualifying with low -fuel qualifications, but the view of the built -in camera footage of 360 degrees at the top of this page from Verstappen’s effort from last year is strong proof that Suzuk certainly cannot be far behind.

It is worth getting up a little early and then you watch qualifications at 7am on Saturday, live Sky Sports F1And then, as you will be in the alarm groove, on Sunday at 6am at 6am, full Grand Prix!

Thursday 3rd April

• 5:00: A driver’s press conference

Friday 4th. April

• 3:00: Japanese Medical Practice One (session starts at 3.30am)*
• 5.30 pm: A press conference of the Director of the Tim Director
• 6.45am: Japanese GP Exercise Two (session starts at 7 o’clock)*
• 8.15am: F1 Show*

Saturday 5th. April

• 3.15am: Japanese medical practice three (session starts at 3.30am)*
• 6:00: Japanese GP qualifying buildup*
• 7:00: Japanese GP qualification*
• 9:00: TED -O’s qualifying notebook*

Sunday 6 April

• 4.30 hours: Japanese GP Building-up: Grand Prix Sunday*
• 6:00: Japanese Grand Prix*
• 8:00: Japanese reaction GP -a: Plated flag*
• 9:00: Ted’s notebook*

*Also live at the main event Sky Sports

Formula 1 is referred to the iconic circle of Suzuk for Japanese Grand Prix from 4-6. April, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with now – No Treaty, cancel anytime