Formula 1 may not look like it, but it is a battleground. Drivers give their blood (case in point: Alex Albon’s shoulders after every race), sweat (case in point: every driver after every race), and tears (case in point: George Russell after the Singapore GP). It’s a cutthroat sport where every team aims to reign supreme at the end of the year. After every year, the scales go back to zero, and the battle starts all over again. In 2023, though, no team has come close to Red Bull. What’s the next best thing? P2 in the Constructors’ Championship. Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton waged war on each other for it at the Japanese GP.

Ferrari and Mercedes started their seasons a long way from where they wanted. The fact that they’re now fighting for P2 is a testament to the work they’ve put in to improve. Mercedes had to revamp its W14, while Ferrari’s SF-23 has been making small gains weekend after weekend. Even though they’ve gotten closer to Red Bull, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton know they’ll have to settle for P2 at best. The question is: Which team is it going to be?

Lewis Hamilton is optimistic about Mercedes’ chances against Ferrari

Coming into the Japanese GP, Mercedes in P2 has a 24-point lead over Ferrari in P3. Their results in Singapore put a significant dent in Mercedes’ lead. After a season dominated by Red Bull, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz became the first driver to break Red Bull’s winning streak. With Leclerc in P4, Ferrari scored a huge chunk of points compared to Mercedes after Russell ruined the team’s chances of a 3-4 finish. The young Brit ended his race in the wall, and Hamilton assumed P3 and was the only points scorer for the Brackley outfit.

In the Drivers’ press conference at Suzuka, Hamilton and Leclerc were asked about their chances of finishing P2. Leclerc said, “The best we can do is second place, and we’ll do everything possible to achieve that. All three teams [Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren] are super close. So, it should be exciting until the end of the season.” In recent weeks, McLaren has taken a huge step forward as well. But with a 150-point deficit to Mercedes, P2 might be a little too optimistic for the Woking squad. Even so, McLaren is still in the fray to snatch points away from the P2 contenders. 

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Hamilton responded to Leclerc, “Just like [Ferrari], we started off pretty poorly at the beginning of the season. Definitely didn’t expect ourselves to be second in the Constructors’ to now being relatively close and fighting in the Constructors’. I think it’s exciting for us as a team. And, of course, we want to beat them just as they want to beat us.” Needless to say, the shackles are off, and Mercedes and Ferrari are ready to battle it out on track. While Mercedes has the advantage right now, things could turn in Ferrari’s favor after its recent “boost.”

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Singapore has given Charles Leclerc & Co. more ammunition

Before F1 returned to the Marina Bay Circuit, it felt like Red Bull was breaking records every race weekend. It was on a 15-race-winning streak, making history with every win. It got to a point where everyone started believing that the Milton-Keynes outfit would win every race in 2023. Leclerc even said, “To be honest, if you had asked me four or five races ago, I would have said that Red Bull would have won all races.” Unfortunately for them, and fortunately for the rest of the grid, that didn’t happen. Ferrari broke that streak and secured its first win since the 2022 Austrian GP. 

Squeezing out a hard-fought win—competing against Mercedes and McLaren—spirits at Maranello are understandably at an all-time high. Leclerc knew if there were one venue where Red Bull’s form would falter, it would be Singapore. And Ferrari maximized its opportunity. Leclerc said about the win, “The team has done an incredible job of being there at the right time. It’s a big boost for the team and the rest of the year. It’s been two or three races that we feel we are going in the right direction. To finally make this step and to win a race this year is a huge boost for the team.”

Who do you think will come out on top after the Japanese GP? Ferrari and Charles Leclerc or Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton?

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