Overview
- Formula 1’s regulator, which on Thursday cut the qualifying battery recharge cap at Suzuka to 8MJ from 9MJ, aims to curb ‘superclipping’ that slowed cars at the end of straights under the new 50/50 engine rules.
- Mercedes arrive as clear leaders after back‑to‑back one‑twos, even as the FIA discusses footage of Kimi Antonelli’s front wing not closing within the 0.4s limit in China, which the team says was unintentional and not an advantage.
- Honda says it still has not found the cause of violent power‑unit vibrations in the Aston Martin, with Shintaro Orihara conceding reliability and energy management remain below target after double DNFs and driver discomfort.
- Red Bull and Max Verstappen are chasing form after a retirement in China, and the champion escalated tensions on Thursday by refusing to speak until a Guardian reporter left a team media session.
- With Bahrain and Saudi Arabia canceled, Suzuka is the last race before a five‑week gap, raising the stakes for development paths as rivals try to close Mercedes’ straight‑line energy‑harvesting edge.