There were some superb performances on display during the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday that deserve a lot of credit.
It’s hard to look past Max Verstappen returning to winning ways with Sergio Perez delivering his best drive of the 2024 season behind him.
Speaking on the F1 Nation Podcast, commentator Alex Jacques admitted he enjoyed a more tactical battle going on further down the grid.
The red flag on the first lap of the race created a tactical battle that nobody expected before the start of the race.
Tyre choice suddenly played a key part in the Grand Prix and while some thrived – such as Charles Leclerc on his medium tyres – others saw their gambles fail – just ask both Mercedes drivers.
As Lance Stroll couldn’t make his way through the pack to score the final point, it meant Yuki Tsunoda managed to secure his first top-ten finish at his home Grand Prix.
However, Stroll’s teammate Fernando Alonso earned plenty of credit for his performance at the Japanese Grand Prix and the tactics he used to secure a brilliant 5-place finish.
He showed why he’s recorded 106 podiums throughout his F1 career and used all the experience he’s accrued over the last 20 years to secure another eight points for Aston Martin.
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Fernando Alonso used brilliant tactics during the Japanese Grand Prix
At the start of the Japanese Grand Prix, Alonso was on an alternative strategy to his rivals at the front of the grid.
He started on the soft tyre and that allowed him to keep pace with the Red Bulls and Ferraris at the front of the grid.
His final stint saw him move onto the medium tyre – the compound Leclerc had used so brilliantly at the start of the race – but he had two quicker cars quickly catching him.
The first was Oscar Piastri who hadn’t had the best race weekend in his McLaren.
He caught up to the back of the Spaniard but was never given the opportunity to pass and when a surging George Russell joined the fight, that’s when Alonso used one of his favourite tactics during the Japanese Grand Prix.
Piastri will be rueing not attempting a move on Alonso sooner and ultimately that cost him two points.
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Fernando Alonso used all his experience in Japan
Recalling the end of the 42-year-old’s race, Jacques said: “I loved Fernando’s [Alonso] tactics at the end there, just keeping Oscar [Piastri] within the DRS.
“But you were like, if he [George Russell] gets past, we get round two, let’s go, come on!”
Russell only made his way past Piastri on the final lap after the young Australian made a rare mistake under pressure.
As Jacques alluded to, it denied us a repeat of Alonso and Russell’s battle at the end of the race in Australia.
Alonso may have used slightly different tactics during the Japanese Grand Prix had the Mercedes managed to close up to him.
There was an even bigger pace difference on Sunday, but clever use of the DRS zones meant Russell never got a chance to leapfrog the Aston Martin.
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