Max Verstappen's Japan winning streak in doubt as Mercedes threat grows

[p]Mercedes drivers [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/russell-george/xxF56RaN/"]George Russell[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/antonelli-andrea-kimi/ptGu0mT1/"]Kimi Antonelli[/a] will carry their early dominance into Suzuka with Ferrari's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/leclerc-charles/KlCOSRub/"]Charles Leclerc[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hamilton-lewis/tI5Vpe1h/"]Lewis Hamilton[/a] their nearest challengers.[/p][p]Red Bull and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/verstappen-max/UV3mgeXB/"]Verstappen[/a] are scrambling to recover from a disastrous start to the Formula One season, as are McLaren whose drivers - world champion [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/norris-lando/WSVABbVF/"]Lando Norris[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/piastri-oscar/MqKAIeUf/"]Oscar Piastri[/a] - both failed to start in China with separate technical problems.[/p][p]Verstappen, the four-time world champion, finished sixth in the opening grand prix in Australia after crashing in qualifying.[/p][p]He then limped home ninth and out of the points in the Shanghai sprint before retiring from the main race.[/p][p]Verstappen has raged against the 2026 regulations and new car designs, branding them "anti-racing" and likening them to the Mario Kart video game with their electrical boost and overtake modes.[/p][embed guid="7bb320f1-4835-4852-89cf-abbd4e49d1dd" url="https://x.com/redbullracing/status/2036412362123628780" social-type="twitter" /][p]The Dutchman sought a change of scenery by competing at a four-hour race in Germany last weekend, but even that did not lift his gloom as he was disqualified after winning.[/p][p]Verstappen has been unbeaten in Japan for the past four years and he clinched his second world title there in 2022.[/p][p]His problems in China, where he was ordered to retire on lap 46 of the grand prix because of a cooling issue, suggest his Suzuka dominance could end on Sunday.[/p][p][b]"Getting on top of our problems is not easy,"[/b] Verstappen said in Shanghai.[/p][p][b]"It would help if we would just have a normal start - I've been every time dropping to last."[/b][/p][embed guid="9970cc7f-cad3-4a7f-8fb1-e91fb56194e9" url="https://x.com/redbullracing/status/2036372554785456396" social-type="twitter" /][h2]Antonelli breakthrough[/h2][p]Verstappen's struggles are in stark contrast to the flying start enjoyed by Mercedes, who secured one-two finishes at both grands prix so far.[/p][p]Championship leader Russell triumphed in Australia and 19-year-old Antonelli picked up the first win of his fledgling career in China.[/p][p]Russell took the chequered flag in the Shanghai sprint and Mercedes will target a Suzuka triumph for the first time since [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bottas-valtteri/bRJJqiGb/"]Valtteri Bottas[/a] won in 2019.[/p][p]Antonelli, who became the youngest pole-sitter in Formula One history in Shanghai and the second-youngest race winner after Verstappen, was given a hero's welcome when he returned to his native Bologna in Italy.[/p][p]The win had "removed a bit of weight from my shoulders", said Antonellii.[/p][p][b]"It's the kind of result which gives you strength and more awareness of what you can do."[/b][/p][embed guid="2a4ad401-c045-4337-b1dd-87d960dae7a8" url="https://x.com/redbullracing/status/2036151126265827582" social-type="twitter" /][p]McLaren have endured a nightmare start to the campaign under the new regulations which require battery management and energy harvesting with a 50-50 split between conventional and electrical power.[/p][p]Defending champion Norris, who complained his car "sucks", is 36 points behind Russell while Piastri is yet to take part in a grand prix this season after he crashed on his way to the grid in Melbourne.[/p][p][b]"We just have to take it on the chin, learn what the problem was and make sure it never happens again,"[/b] Norris said in Shanghai.[/p][p][b]"All of us want to go racing and score points."[/b][/p][p]The teams will have time to regroup after Suzuka, as there will be a five-week gap until the Miami GP as the Bahrain and Saudi Arabia races were cancelled because of the war in the Middle East.[/p]