Suzuka Speed Trap: Who is the fastest of them all?

You’d be hard-pressed to find an F1 driver who doesn’t love mighty Suzuka — a circuit that sits alongside Spa as one of Grand Prix racing's most challenging and thrilling venues.

Designed by Dutchman John Hugenholtz, the track's demanding, flowing layout — with its figure-eight configuration, snaking 'S' curves, Degner corners, and pulse-pounding 130R — demands skill, concentration, focus, and fitness.

And also a car with high downforce and low drag — in other words, top-tier aero efficiency. Cue McLaren’s MCL39: the class of the field so far this season, and unbeaten year-to-date.

While Jack Doohan gets bragging rights for breezing through Suzuka’s speed trap — situated just after the exit of 130R — at 299.4 km/h, courtesy of Alpine’s ultra-low drag, the Aussie’s velocity was matched by Lando Norris and… Max Verstappen.

On merit, Red Bull’s RB21 is no match for Team Papaya’s MCL39. But in the hands of a flying Dutchman who went all-in — and then some — on his final flyer in Q3, it became a defiant reminder that talent can still bend physics to its will, even when the machinery falls short.

This wasn’t lost on Red Bull team boss Christian Horner, who lavished praise on Verstappen, saying he “delivered the most amazing lap.”

However, a forensic look at Max and Lando’s respective final Q3 laps reveals that the latter actually held a significant 0.185s lead over his Red Bull rival as they approached the final chicane.

Read also:

• Verstappen: Surprise pole in Suzuka is ‘what makes it special’

Here’s where Verstappen got it done: the four-time world champion left his braking insanely late — and even though Norris enjoyed a slightly better exit thanks to an earlier throttle application, he still conceded 0.012s to Verstappen at the finish line. Job done for Max.

In terms of race pace, McLaren — thanks to its car’s remarkable aero efficiency — remains the benchmark, a fact even Verstappen acknowledged.

“If it’s dry and we get a straightforward race, then it’s going to be very tough to keep the McLarens behind,” he said after qualifying.

Rain clouds are forecast for Sunday, although it’s unclear if they’ll still be hovering above Suzuka during the race.

If so, McLaren’s more loaded aero setup should prove beneficial versus teams running less drag, like Red Bull, Ferrari, and Mercedes.

But we’ll cross that bridge when — or if — we get there…

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