As everyone moves ahead from the Singapore Grand Prix, the stakes are high for everyone. From the Singapore winner, Carlos Sainz to the championship leader, Max Verstappen, there is a lot to prove.
However, it seems that free practice is giving a little preview of what to expect at the F1 Japanese Grand Prix. While Carlos Sainz was only P2 during the first free practice, Max Verstappen took the lead yet again. However, there were also a few hilarious moments between Ferrari and McLaren that could not be looked at.
While Verstappen was in the lead and Sainz was second, Lando Norris in his McLaren was behind Sainz in the practice. However, it was during the practice that Norris, who was ahead of Sainz, suddenly released some Flow-viz from his car. The green stuff was all over Sainz as he informed his team on the radio. The moment was caught and commentators were heard saying, “It’s like a Mario Kart move from the McLarens.” This gave everyone a good laugh.
New upgrades this weekend. 😉🕹️#JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 https://t.co/fbY9VQQlvF pic.twitter.com/Pm0LblnWbP
— McLaren (@McLarenF1) September 22, 2023
The two teams joked about the moment on their social media too. McLaren posted a picture of their McLaren car with emojis and characters from the Mario World. It had the squid on top of the car. Ferrari too, left a comment on the post saying, “We would have responded but unfortunately we only had blue shells.” Fans loved the interaction between the teams and laughed along the mishap. The timing was just perfect for the two.
When F1 drivers cosplayed through the busy streets of Tokyo in Mario Karts
During the 2017 season, all the F1 drivers took some time off to spend in Tokyo before heading to Suzuka. The drivers soon planned on having a special feature for Sky Sports. Simon Lazenby was dressed as “donkey Kong” and Johnny Herbert was dressed as “Bowser”.
Lance Stroll and Felipe Massa joined them in the karts and started driving along the streets in a unique tour of the city. The drivers enjoyed one of the many sweet traditions of Japan, cosplaying as a character and driving Mario Karts.
View this post on Instagram
However, the tradition came to an end. It was once a long-living experience for all Nintendo fans as Japan took pride in their Mario Kart experience. Fans got to dress as characters from the game and enjoy karting themselves.
It was discontinued for safety reasons. Nonetheless, this season fans took it up a notch as they came dressed as their favorite drivers. One of the Lewis Hamilton fans was dressed in his race suit and helmet and had a Roscoe plush in his hand. How adorable!
Always a warm welcome to Suzuka. 🙏❤️ pic.twitter.com/iK3ZtbcEa2
— Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team (@MercedesAMGF1) September 21, 2023
Fans can also be seen wearing unique caps with nose cones and different car parts over them. As the fans bring in their A-games and take their support and love for the sport up a notch, drivers are prepared to drive on Suzuka. They will also pass the beehive constructed by Sebastian Vettel on Turn 2.
