Contested since 1963, the Japanese GP is one of the iconic Formula 1 races, with legendary Michael Schumacher holding the record for the most wins at Suzuka with six. Just behind him is Lewis Hamilton with five wins and a chance to equal Schumacher’s record on Sunday, April 7.
Although the Englishman is one of the top contenders, his chance of winning doesn’t look that great for a simple reason – Max Verstappen looks set to win the Japanese GP for a third time in a row.
2024 Japanese Grand Prix Odds
DriverOddsMax Verstappen   -500Sergio Perez   +1100Carlos Sainz   +1400Charles Leclerc   +1400Lando Norris   +2200Oscar Piastri   +3300George Russell   +5000Lewis Hamilton   +5000Fernando Alonso   +6600Lance Stroll   +20000Alex Albon   +50000Daniel Ricciardo   +50000Esteban Ocon   +50000Guanyu Zhou   +50000*Odds taken from BetUS on Tuesday, April 2, 2024.
When, Where, and How to Watch?
Place: Suzuka International Racing Course in Suzuka, Japan
Date: Sunday, April 7, 2024
Time: 1:00 a.m. ET
How to Watch: ESPN
Verstappen Determined to Bounce back After the Debacle in Australia
After winning the first two races of the season – the Bahrain GP and Saudi GP – Verstappen retired from the race in Australia two weeks ago. It wasn’t his fault, but his car broke. The brakes malfunctioned on his RB20 early on in the race, in which he was the one holding the pole position.
It was the first time since 2022 that he retired from the race and the first time in nine races that he didn’t win. Nevertheless, he still remains at the very top of the F1 Drivers’ Championship standings.
The Red Bull Racing driver has 51 points, which is four more than Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and five more than his teammate, Sergio Perez. In simple terms, if he and his team want him to stay at the top, Verstappen needs to win on Sunday.
Who Can Ruin Verstappen’s Plans in Japan?
Judging by the Japanese GP Formula 1 odds, Sergio Perez is Verstappen’s main rival to win the race at Suzuka. No surprise there as Perez is his teammate who finished just behind him in most of the races last season. The same trend continued in the 2024 season, with the Mexican driver finishing second in the first two races of the season.
In the third race of the 2024 campaign, he finished fifth. With him underperforming and Verstappen retiring from the race, it wasn’t too hard for Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz to win. It’s the Spaniard who’s the No. 3 driver on the list of the 2024 Japan GP favorites, with the same odds as his Ferrari colleague, Charles Leclerc.
Other than those three and the -500 favorite Verstappen, no other driver has odds shorter than +2000. This includes Lewis Hamilton who stands a chance to equal Schumacher’s record on April 7.
Can Hamilton Win His 6th Japanese GP?
Just a few seasons ago, Lewis Hamilton looked unstoppable. However, those days are long over. In fact, the last time he won a race was in 2021. Since the start of the 2024 F1 season, he hasn’t been too impressive, finishing seventh and ninth in the first two races, and retiring from the third race of the season.
The good news is that the season has only just started and there’s plenty of time for him to improve his standings. He’s 10th right now, with eight points.
However, this guy seems to love driving in Japan, the evidence being that he’s the most successful active F1 driver when it comes to racing in Suzuka.
2024 Japan GP Prediction
It would be crazy to go against Verstappen. Not only is he the best driver in F1, but he’s also determined to get back on track after the blunder in Australia two weeks ago.
Pick: Max Verstappen