circuit Suzuka, one of the most technical and difficult tracks in the entire championship, dresses up to host a qualifying session for which the last references date back three years. As if all that wasn’t enough, Friday’s rain and Saturday’s strong winds They have prevented the competitors from obtaining very definitive readings, although that does not seem to alter the competitive situation at the top of the table too much.
When it comes to the two teams that have controlled this 2022 season, both Red Bull and Ferrari seem to occupy the usual positions. Although the Italian team usually has the upper hand on Saturdays, Max Verstappen He looks like the main candidate for a pole position that would bring him closer to his goal of becoming champion this weekend if he wins or if his two main rivals have problems.
To postpone the Dutchman’s coronation, starting at the front would be a good starting point for the Italians, especially for charles leclercwho really has to have his sights set more specifically on defending his runner-up position against Sergio Pérez. Carlos Sainz can benefit from all thiswho in the three practice sessions has been the team’s fastest driver, and who is in a good place to find that final tenth that he usually lacks in Q3.
Interestingly, the most established threat to the top 4 might not be Mercedes, with both cars less than a second behind Verstappen, but the Alpine driven by Fernando Alonso. On the same day that the French team confirmed Pierre Gasly as the driver who will fill his vacancy in 2023, the two-time Spanish champion managed to lap in free practice faster than Pérez and at a reasonable distance from the lead. If the environmental conditions remain unpredictable, a top 5 finish is by no means ruled out.