Nico Rosberg is offering its best this season and Lewis Hamilton start to see the title of the champion too far. Now Nico is solely depends on himself, because account with 33 points advantage and Mercedes is already, officially, the World Champion constructors for the third year in a row.
Max Verstappen was this time the strut of Red Bull on a weekend very full before a blurred, Daniel Ricciardo and a few Ferrari’s something loose in race compared to qualifying. In the middle part, Force India continues to offer his usual consistency, otherwise all that McLaren, which grazed the ridiculous in the home of Honda. All this and much more we analyze it below in our analysis of the Grand Prix of Japan.
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Mercedes
Three consecutive titles would give Mercedes the status of being one of the teams with the most dominant of the Formula 1. Only Ferrari with Michael Schumacher (6), McLaren with Senna and Prost (4) and Red Bull with Vettel (4) have more consecutive titles under his belt.
In Suzuka again dominated as they usually do and that in a path as the japanese makes it very clear the overall level of the car. On this occasion, competed with less power in the engine to minimize risks in order to avoid what happened in Knowg with Hamilton, but even so, Nico Rosberg tuvi sufficient margin as to control Max Verstappen with relative comfort.
Nico Rosberg
Without a doubt, we’re seeing the best Nico Rosberg on his career. The German pilot is starting to be able to dominate whole weekends as only the great riders know how to do this. As happened in Singapore, Nico has extended his domain and total for each metro Suzuka. Hamilton was completely overwhelmed since Friday and their bad output did not make but increase the superiority of Rosberg, who now strokes the title with the tip of the fingers.
And, finally, if it gets there, or the biggest fans of Lewis Hamilton able to put a beat to the new champion. It is true that Lewis has had several episodes of unlucky with the mechanics and it is also true that Nico has failed in decisive moments. But also what is that Rosberg has continued to push and it has grown when it was necessary, in compliance with note and getting the better of himself.
Max Verstappen
weekend flawless Max Verstappen, who at Suzuka gave us its best version to lead the offensive on Mercedes. Although it is true that Nico Rosberg was never a realistic goal, Max managed to take advantage of the weaknesses of Lewis Hamilton to get a second post, beating of his team-mate by a considerable margin.
we must Not forget that Verstappen is not yet completed two years in Formula 1, so that, taking into account their inexperience, it is evident that we can expect very good things from the Dutch in the future.
Force India
This team never ceases to amaze, and its becoming less and less surprising speed, he joins his traditional consistency to get results -something more typical of the big teams that a training modest as that of Vijay Mallya-.
Although it has not reached the level of Sergio Pérez, Nico Hülkenberg has rediscovered the consistency in his performance and is now accompanied by so brilliant a rider that preserves perfectly the growth of the team as it is the mexican. Despite the little difference that separates both teams -ten points-it is extremely difficult to think that Williams will be able to offset the trade and the good work from Force India at the end of each week. Live to see.
Daniil Kvyat
The Russian pilot is back and already suffered several races with a level, at least, enough to think in their recovery. We can not say that Daniil has recovered his best version, but at least it seems to have reset his mind and now must face the situations with more aplomb, something that no doubt has helped him to regain the speed and consistency demonstrated in the past.
Will it be enough to keep the starting job in 2017? Maybe not, but at least allows you to return to enjoy the racing and make you see other teams -whether in Formula 1 or not – that are worth betting on him. The way it should be.
The starry
Lewis Hamilton
it is Not normal that Lewis Hamilton will see overtaken by his team mate so many times in a single season and, in Suzuka, we saw a new example that it is necessary that we see the best Hamilton if you want to be crowned champion for the fourth time.
it Is true that in Malaysia dominated with an iron hand after the disappointment of Singapore, but three bad weekends (Baku, Singapore, and Japan) are too many for a rider of his quality and prestige. The result? no longer depends on itself and only a turn of events in the form of incident for Nico Rosberg will be returned to title options. Hamilton made it more complicated recovering the disadvantage of the breakage of the engine first of the year and the penalty in Spa, but what has been seen in the Marina Bay and Suzuka does not make but increase the consequences of the rupture of Sepang.
Daniel Ricciardo
Bad weekend for Daniel Ricciardo, which is not ranked well and, to top it all off, you went wrong from the wet zone, losing positions in the first laps and being doomed to the martyrdom of the traffic, which made him lose contact with the cars of tip. It is not, in any case, of concern as the season of Daniel is to be bright, consistent and promising. But, obviously, you can’t always surrender to the perfección.
McLaren
What happened this weekend in Suzuka is inexplicable. The result was even worse than the 2015 and that, taking into account the circumstances, there is no where to catch it. The deficit, well-known in fact, and underline by members of the team, press and fans until limits unsuspectedly, he was joined by one factor -deluded of us – we believed exceeded: the chassis. Button was uncovered on Saturday by saying that the car was not performing in curves of medium and high speed and suffering in the changes of direction. Or what is the same: the chassis and the aerodynamics leave a lot to be desired.
I Admit to be surprised because it is difficult to fit something as well with the result seen in Spa or Sepang, for example, but, for one reason or another, what is certain is that in Suzuka, nothing went well. , Better said, everything went certifiably evil. Become the questions that we believed to have overcome.
Esteban Gutiérrez
there is No way, Esteban Gutierrez is on her way to finish the season without having scored a car with which I could have done this on several occasions. To their already extensive reputation as a pilot difficult to bend due to their tendency to ignore the blue flags bind a multitude of incidents or errors that, in one way or another, always seem to avoid the points. His future at Haas is complicated and only the absence of another option will allow him to continue in Formula 1.
The flash
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In Suzuka is tricky to move forward and, usually, the few options that are presented in a way that requires expertise to do so. It is the case of overtaking by the outside that sometimes we see in 130R, at the Casio chicane or curve 1. There were several of these movements on the Sunday, but perhaps the most remarkable was the overtaking of Nico Hülkenberg to Valtteri Bottas under braking for the Casio chicane and out. Bottas did not easy, but Nico will not be put off and completed the maneuver flawlessly around the outside of the chicane. Fantastic.
The dark area
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Begins to be usual that the pilots are complaining about the movements at braking than some of his colleagues made to defend the position. The main controversy jumped at the Hungaroring, when Max Verstappen he did it to Kimi Räikkönen in the second bend of the loop and I ended up with the Finnish damaging his front wing. Re-emerged with the same protagonists in Spa-Francorchamps, and has been repeated with the own Max in Suzuka. Mercedes arrived to protest to the commissioners for the maneuver performed on Lewis Hamilton, but finally pulled it back and it will all be for naught.
In any case, if dubious was the manoeuvre on Hamilton, even more so is the Sainz on Gutiérrez, changing significantly the trajectory in the phase of braking and causing the top of the mexican. pilots will always argue that you can’t change direction once you have started the braking, because the driver behind you cannot change the path without losing control. Of time, the commissioners do not agree and is not having sanctions in situations of this type, but many riders are starting to be very sensitive with this topic.
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