The Japanese Grand Prix turned out to be a quiet race in terms of overtaking, with very few position changes once the lights went out. Remarkably, the top six drivers finished in exactly the same order they started, and all of the top ten qualifiers ended up scoring points. It gave the race a fairly processional feel, with drivers unable to properly challenge one another despite being close on pace.

Ferrari team boss Fred Vasseur said after the race that the current generation of Formula 1 cars is extremely sensitive to something called "dirty air".

READ MORE: What is dirty air in F1 and why do drivers hate it?

“As soon as you are behind someone, even when it is three or four seconds, we start to struggle a little bit. To damage more the tyres, to reduce consistency,” he explained, quoted by Autosport. Because of this, even small gaps between cars can make a big difference, especially in terms of tyre wear and performance.

He suggested that this season might effectively become a qualifying championship, adding: “The smaller the gap is between cars, the more true that is. Yes, it will probably be a quali championship.”

Fernando Alonso had a slightly different view. He compared Suzuka to Monaco, saying both circuits are highly respected by drivers but rarely produce races full of overtaking.

“This is Suzuka. I do not remember a race many times in the past where there is lots of overtaking without the weather changing,” he said.

Alonso pointed out that every year people talk about how great these tracks are, until race day, when they complain there was not enough action. “Instead of looking at the negative, I try to enjoy the experience, and it was another great Suzuka.”

Overall, the Japanese Grand Prix has sparked more discussion about how hard it is to race closely in modern Formula 1. With the cars so evenly matched, qualifying position is becoming more and more important, and that could shape how the rest of the season plays out.