James Hinchcliffe has selected five drivers who stand out in a positive way in Japan. The Canadian did not make way for Max Verstappen in his top five, who took pole position, victory and the fastest lap. The Formula1.com analyst apparently thought the performance of five other drivers was more impressive.
Carlos Sainz is the first driver to be named by the former IndyCar driver. Sainz went from fourth on the grid to third at the finish line, remaining the only driver to finish on the podium at every Grand Prix participation in 2024. “Sainz has made big steps forward in 2024,” Hinchcliffe explains. “He finished on the podium in three of the three races, and crucially ahead of his teammate.”
Despite that painful statistic, Charles Leclerc was the second driver on the hero list. The Monegasque only qualified eighth, and ended up next to the circuit in the second Degner corner during the race. Yet the Ferrari gentlemen score a one-two on Hinchcliffe’s list. ‘Leclerc had to drive in a controlled and disciplined manner from start to finish. After another mediocre Saturday, Ferrari knew it had to do something different with Leclerc. On a weekend with a lot of tire wear, a one-stop was a daring choice. However, Leclerc did what was necessary and took good care of the Pirellis. It requires an incredible amount of control on a circuit where you want to go all out.’
Magnussen and Pérez in the spotlight
‘Apart from Leclerc, Kevin Magnussen was the only driver who had a one-stopper. Just like Leclerc, he did so in a car that was known for high tire wear last year. Magnussen also achieved success with this strategy,” says Hinchcliffe about the Dane’s thirteenth place. Teammate Nico Hülkenberg finished two positions higher.
Sergio Pérez did make the list, unlike Verstappen. “It seems that Pérez excels under pressure,” the analyst concluded. Hinchcliffe also refers to the Mexican’s first victory, in Bahrain in 2020, when Pérez was still without a contract. ‘He finished second every time Verstappen won this year, and is also much stronger on Saturdays. He is no longer distracted by all the media reports. I especially thought it was great that he showed this after two weeks of talking about his future. None of that stopped him, and he threatened Verstappen on Saturday, and did exactly what he had to do on Sunday. It makes you wonder whether Red Bull will wait as long as possible with a contract extension to ensure he maintains this form.’
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