“Kiss Me”: Pole-Sitter Max Verstappen Set to Turn On Japan’s Unique Attraction

“From Lap 1, the car was enjoyable to drive.” As soon as Max Verstappen said this after practice on Friday—a stark contrast to the RB19’s “shocking” drivability at Singapore—it became clear that the Japanese GP would be nothing like Red Bull’s Marina Bay outing. After hitting a snag and ending their record-breaking streak in Singapore, the formidable Verstappen-Red Bull duo is back. As painful as it must be for every non-Red Bull fan to hear this, all has gone back to normal in F1 2023. 

What do we mean by normal? Red Bull (rather, Verstappen) was back to leading the pack through all the practice sessions. And Verstappen couldn’t have staked his claim any better on Saturday. If this form continues into Sunday (which it most likely will), the reigning champion has set himself up for a ‘kissable’ surprise!

Max Verstappen may have already won the Japanese GP

Red Bull knew the Singapore GP would only be a blip in its otherwise flawless season. So as soon as its winning streak ended, everyone in Milton-Keynes got back to work. Coming to Suzuka, with its high-speed corners and reasonably long straights, it was almost inevitable that Red Bull would regain its usual 2023 form. Verstappen wasted no time getting used to the track and the RB19’s feel on it. While others struggled with tire degradation issues and lack of grip, Verstappen found himself at home.

He continued that form into qualifying (shocker!) and absolutely obliterated the field (another shocker!). Yes, his getting pole was a given, but the laps he recorded in Q2 were mesmerizing. On his first flying lap, he went through the Spoon curve withstanding 5.5G. On old tires. No one did that the entire weekend. That just proved how confident he felt in the car. He followed that lap with another staggering one, setting a time of 1:28:877. Although the McLarens were close all weekend, they fell short by a whopping six-tenths of a second.

With a McLaren lining up alongside him like at the British GP, Verstappen might feel a sense of Deja Vu. But even he knows that if Oscar Piastri were to overtake him, it’ll only be a matter of time before he retakes the lead, given Red Bull’s superior race pace. As we wait for the inevitable to happen, there’s something fun waiting for the Dutchman on the podium come Sunday. ‘Kiss Me’ trophies! Yes, you read that right. As per Motorsport, the trophies “will come alive when picked up in the right spot thanks to touch-sensitive technology.” If any venue could’ve come up with such an innovative trophy, it had to be Japan.

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Sukuza is Red Bull territory. Verstappen knows it, and every other driver on the grid knows it. After a disappointing outing in Singapore, Verstappen is ready to exact revenge in Suzuka.

Revenge is Max Verstappen’s only plan in Suzuka

In Monza, Verstappen became the first driver in history to win 10 races in a row. Almost every time he stepped into the RB19 this season, there seemed to be one result. Verstappen with another record to his name. Even though he was rewriting history every race weekend, what he did at the Italian GP was monumental. He just wasn’t meant to surpass that 10-win mark, though. The Singapore GP made sure of that. Considering his streak came to an end, you would think he’d have taken a motivation hit. Well, that’s not the case.

After the race in Singapore, Verstappen was asked on the F1 Nation Podcast if he was relieved that the streak had ended. He said, “Won’t say I’m relieved, but I’m relaxed. I’m motivated to do even better at Suzuka.” He then talked about his Suzuka prospects, saying, “Suzuka is so different [compared to Marina Bay] in the way you set up the car. So, I don’t expect any trouble there. I was defeated [in Singapore] by 20 seconds. I’ll win in Suzuka by 20 seconds.”

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How big a margin do you think Max Verstappen will have as he picks up the winner’s ‘Kiss Me’ trophy come Sunday?