Once the first day of free practice at Suzuka in Japan is over, it is time for the teams to make their first assessments, at least of what we could observe given the constant interruptions due to rain. In FP1 Ferrari showed good pace in the long run simulations. However, according to Helmut Marko, always sharp in his declarations, this would have been "distorted" by Ferrari's tendency to run with less fuel. The super consultant also spoke about Iwasa's debut with Racing Bulls in FP1. The Japanese driver replaced Ricciardo, who is under careful evaluation by Red Bull leaders. His performances in these first three races of the season have been far too disappointing. And the Australian's future could all be at stake in these two Asian stages.
A slightly anomalous day, but Red Bull is satisfied
There were not two regular sessions and this did not allow the teams that brought the most innovations to the track, including Red Bull, to have as complete a reference as possible. Despite the difficulties in filming, especially due to the rain, Helmut Marko says he is satisfied with the work done. “We are very satisfied. We made relatively major updates and they worked.” La Red Bull It comes from a disastrous weekend in Australia, in which its direct rival, Ferrari, came out on top. At Suzuka the values should return in favor of the Austrian team, but Ferrari seems to be closer than in past seasons. In FP1, even if for a few minutes we were able to partially compare the two race paces. And the situation that emerged saw a Ferrari particularly close to Red Bull, if not better. However, according to Marko this would be a bit part of the two-sided game on Friday, in which the fuel loads are unknown. “Ferrari's long run was truly impressive – Helmut Marko told Motorsport-Magazin. Leclerc was a second faster. But this is not the reality. If you use less fuel in the car, which Ferrari likes to do, they are close to us.".
Iwasa's debut
In FP1 there was also room for a first time. At Suzuka he made his debut on a Racing Bulls Ayumu Iwasa, currently involved in F2. Marko was able to observe the Japanese during the first free practice session and was very enthusiastic about the pace shown. “Iwasa at VCARB did very well. The detachment from Yuki tsunoda is less than a second. This is a very positive performance.", Marko said.
