Believe us, there's no such thing as an F1 who doesn't like Suzuka.
The iconic venue designed by Dutchman John Hugenholtz has enjoyed over the decades its unfair share of memorable moments, but it's the circuit's layout – with its famous 'crossover', its sinuous 'S' curves, high-speed Degners and spine-chiller flat out 130 R – that triggers the ultimate adrenalin rush.
As a high-downforce track, Suzuka naturally requires some solid aerodynamic load, but too much of a good thing will set a driver back on the circuit's straights.
Cue Mercedes, whose typically 'draggy' W13 neatly rushes through the corners but struggles to cut through the air at maximum velocity, as Lewis Hamilton and George Russell clearly demonstrated when they clocked in as the twi slowest contenders in a straight line on Saturday afternoon.
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By contrast, at the other end of the maximum speed rankings in qualifying, Williams' FW44 was left chasing in the corners but flew down the straights, with Nicholas Latifi and Alex Albon topping the readings.
In Saturday's top-ten shootout, Charles Leclerc came up short against Max Verstappen by a mere 0.010s, a deficit the Monegasque felt he owed to "losing the tyres" a bit in the fast last sector.
However, the Ferrari charger will have taken some consolation from the fact that the Scuderia is on a par with Red Bull in terms of maximum velocity.
But defeating Verstappen and delaying once again the Dutchman's coronation will require perfection from Leclerc and teammate Carlos Sainz, the adequate strategy and flawless execution, the Scuderia's tender spot this season.
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