“I will be happy if Max Verstappen returns to the top” - Former 4x F1 champion Sebastian Vettel wants Red Bull to win at Japanese Grand Prix

Former F1 driver Sebastian Vettel is hopeful of Max Verstappen clinching another victory in Japan as he remarked on Red Bull's dominance.

Max Versatppen's winning streak came to an end in Australia last week after his shocking retirement on the third lap because of mechanical issues. Following this, his focus has moved to Suzuka for the Japanese GP next. He has won the Grand Prix consecutively in 2022 and 2023, the former year also marking his second title-deciding race.

Red Bull's Honda-powered cars are also cheered largely at Suzuka as Honda is the sponsor of the event and Japan is also home to the leading automotive brand.

Sebastian Vettel, who also dominated with Red Bull during the early 2010s, feels that Verstappen will win the Japanese GP again. He told Sky Germany:

"From a sporting point of view, we would all like it to be closer. But the signs are good, it seems to be closer this year. But I believe that Max and Red Bull are still the favorites again in Suzuka."

He added that the team's current domination is a strong point to keep in mind, so it seems rather apparent that they would try to dominate in this race as well:

"As I said, from a sporting point of view, it's nice when a bit more happens, but you can't forget the performance behind the dominance that Red Bull and Max in particular continue to show. You can't emphasize that enough. So I will be happy if Max returns to the top."

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Max Verstappen explains the reason for his DNF in Australia

The Australian GP last week was the first race since the same event in 2022 when the Dutchman retired from a race. The race started well enough for him as he took the lead from pole position, all while Carlos Sainz chased him in the Ferrari. On the second lap, however, Max Verstappen seemingly had a slow exit on turn 8, allowing Sainz to overtake and take the lead of the race.

The fans roared, but it was soon overshadowed after Max Verstappen reported an issue with his car to his team. He revealed an issue with the rear brake. His car soon started smoking and he had to drive it back to the pits. While driving in, a small explosion was seen on his right rear brake, which then caught fire while in the pits, confirming his retirement from the race.

Max Verstappen later explained to Sky Sports that his right rear brake had locked after the start of the race, making it impossible for him to drive.

"It is unfortunate about what happened today, but we can see so far in the data that as soon as the lights went off, the right rear brake just stuck on and locked. It was basically like driving with the hand brake on, so, of course, the temperature just kept on increasing, and then I could see smoke appear as it had caught fire," the Dutchman said.

The race did not cause Red Bull or Verstappen to lose their hold at the lead. However, Charles Leclerc is now only four points shy of Max Verstappen in the championship, and so is the case with Ferrari chasing Red Bull.