PWP: The Strategist searches for success in Suzuka

Following a solid result in Singapore, ‘The Strategist’ is ready to go again as we wrap another double-header with a trip to Suzuka.

Currently sat in P61 with 245 points on the board, our secretive Grove guru has gained ground on the leaders in recent weeks but is still someway off P1 who has hit the 300-point mark.

Another 40 points are up for grabs this Sunday, will you follow The Strategist’s tips or make your own calls?

Lap 11-20. The start around Suzuka is often key. Get around the first tour without picking up damage and you’re well on your way. I fancy Alex to be in the fight and box for the first time during the second bracket.

Lap 11-20. He will be in the same window, but I predict Logan will come into the box after Alex. We have seen this a few times during the 2023 season so far, and I reckon he too will fall into the second bracket of our prediction game.

Alex. Albono has been our first racer to stop more often than not in 2023, and I expect that to be the case again in Suzuka this weekend.

P6-P10. I’m hopeful we’ll once again be fighting around the lower reaches of the points once again, and that’s where Alex will be when he comes in.

0.1-2.5s. I fancy Alex to be battling hard, keeping on the tail of the cars ahead of him, so I’m going for the narrowest gap possible.

0.1-2.5s. Similarly to Alex, I expect Logan to be battling in the mix. Logan’s starts have been pretty strong this season and, on his first visit to this storied circuit, he’s going to be right up for the fight with those ahead.

Zero. We have not seen a VSC deployment at Suzuka since 2018 and I think the wait will go on for another year.

One. 2022 saw the Safety Car deployed early on before the race was red-flagged. Thankfully the weather looks more settled this year, but the challenge of Suzuka remains the same. I reckon Bernd Mayländer will take to the track once.