Martin Brundle has suggested what Formula 1 must do to improve racing, after a Japanese Grand Prix which only had one exhange of position within the top 10 places.
Isack Hadjar and Lewis Hamilton were the only two drivers to swap places for P7 just six laps into the race, while the top five places remained stagnant after they all got decent starts off the line.
Max Verstappen led the race from lights to flag, although it was not without consistent pressure from the McLaren who could not get close enough to attempt an overtake.
After watching clips from the race in the post-race cool down room, Oscar Piastri commented: ‘That’s it? That’s all the highlights from the race?’
This prompted a response from F1 fans on social media who branded it “utterly boring” and claimed that Suzuka had “lost its magic” from over the years. Martin Brundle has responded to a post from Jeremy Clarkson on X (formerly Twitter), in which he suggests what F1 needs to do to improve things.
Martin Brundle responds to Jeremy Clarkson comment
F1 has always had races which are hit and miss for fans, with last years Monaco Grand Prix being a prime example.
The race featured no overtakes after an early Red Flag effectively caused everyone to take an early pit stop, negating the need to do so when the race restarted. From there it the Monaco GP became a 78-lap precession which also generated a negative response from fans.
The feeling was the same after the Japanese GP with Clarkson offering his idea to improve things: “I’ve had an idea to make F1 racing more consistently exciting. Don’t use tracks where overtaking is difficult.”
Responding to the comments made by Clarkson, Brundle offered his view on why F1 racing can be a precession and what needs to change.
“Jezza it’s a bit like a harvest, sometimes you have to be patient. From four starts this season we’ve had four different winners. Some football matches are nil-nil. Some are last minute 5-4 thrillers. That’s sport. I know you love F1 really. Change the cars, not the tracks.”
F1’s dirty air problem has come back
F1 has always had a problem with overtaking since aerodynamics have become more sophisticated, especially when the parts are sharper and more yaw-sensitive.
The closer a following cars gets to a lead car, the more it disrupts the aero with ‘dirty air’ dispensed from the car in front. That makes the car behind slide, which in turn impacts the sensative Pirelli tyres.
For this reason, Lando Norris could not get close to Verstappen, while the advantage of having clean air at tracks with high tyre attrition was also on show at the Chinese GP.
Fred Vasseur has warned that this could be a season-long issue for F1, although things should change in 2026 when F1 switches to active aerodynamics.
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