Max Verstappen, the Lion roars again

A scream rang out in Suzuka. A scream that was nevertheless drowned out by the noise of an ecstatic crowd and the sound of the Honda engine of the Red Bull. Max Verstappen expressed his joy on the radio after snatching an unexpected pole position in Japan. So dominant for two and a half years, the Dutchman was modest in his triumph, aware of the superiority of his machine over the others, which allowed him to win, for example, 19 races out of 22 in 2023. But since the Red Bull has returned to a more ordinary level, the four-time world champion has rediscovered the taste of success, which is even better when it is achieved after a bitter fight. Because, arriving in Japan, Max Verstappen knew that it would be difficult for him to secure a fourth consecutive pole position under the sakuras – the Japanese cherry trees, in bloom