08/04/2025
NEWS STORY
Ferrari boss Fred Vasseur fears the Suzuka 'race' is a prime example of what we might expect this season as what happens on Saturday increasingly dictates Sunday's result.
It's the sport's age old problem, if the man starting from pole position is essentially the quickest out there, it is inevitable that he will lead into the first corner - hence the importance of the starting position - and disappear into the distance. Consequently, when you are at the end of a regulation cycle and cars are more converged than ever, pole is vital.
While the McLarens are undoubtedly the quickest cars out there, following Max Verstappen's superhuman effort on Saturday it was essential that the Papaya pair jump him at the start. They failed.
As a result, Suzuka, one of the most popular and challenging circuits on the calendar, served up a boreathon every bit as tedious as Barcelona in the bad old days. Over the course of the afternoon just 15 overtakes were counted, none of them where it really mattered.
Though there are circuits with longer runs to the first corner, thereby allowing more chance of a reshuffle, and not forgetting the Weather Gods, Fred Vasseur fears that now, more than ever, the championship will be decided on Saturdays.
"For sure, qualifying is always crucial in the performance," said the Frenchman. "The smaller the gap is between cars, the more true that is. Because you are in the group of cars. It's not that you are just one fighting with the guy in front of you.
"It will probably be a 'quali' championship," he added.
Two weeks back, Lewis Hamilton won the Sprint in Shanghai after starting from pole, while all three races thus far have been won by the man starting from the coveted position.
What the answer is nobody knows, and we certainly don't want to resurrect the calls for reverse grids.
If pole is to continue being so vital, if it is to be a qualifying championship, then everyone is going to need to raise their game on Saturdays... and perhaps take a few more chances come Sunday.