Usually, when I have to get up at the crack of dawn for a Formula 1 race, the thrill of the action alone is enough to keep me wide awake. Yesterday, I needed coffee. Lots of coffee.
Over the 53 laps of the Japanese Grand Prix, there was precious little to get excited about, with the only on-track that really got the blood pumping being a pit-exit battle between eventual winner Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
However, in terms of the wider context of the season, there were plenty of big developments.
Magic Max may be even more magical than we thought
After what he did in Japan, I'm starting to think that Verstappen is better than I realised, which is saying a lot given that I already considered him one of the greatest drivers of all time.
The qualifying lap that got him pole position was one of the best I've seen in a long time, and even more impressive than that was the fact that he had the pace and consistency to stay ahead of multiple cars for the entirety of the race that followed.
He was also once again in another stratosphere to the other Red Bull, and with new teammate Yuki Tsunoda being the fifth driver who has failed to get near the Dutchman in the same car, it may be time to start considering the possibility that the main reason for that isn't their own failings to adapt to a tricky car but instead that Verstappen is simply in another league to them.
Given that four of those five have proved extremely capable at other teams, winning intra-team battles against top drivers, that would strongly suggest that Verstappen is actually in another league to the rest of the grid, and that when other drivers can get anywhere near him, it's only because they have a stronger car.
Whether that is indeed the case can only be answered if or when he's put in the same car as another driver considered to be top-tier such as Norris, Charles Leclerc, Fernando Alonso or Lewis Hamilton, but it's starting to feel like a distinct possibility.
The highest level I've ever seen a driver perform at was in 2012 when Alonso somehow dragged his absolute tractor of a Ferrari to the brink of the title, but Verstappen could give that a run for its money if Red Bull don't develop their car and he wins his fifth championship nonetheless.
McLaren fail to make their advantages count
In their battle with Verstappen, McLaren had two big advantages: their car was faster than his, and they had two drivers at the front whereas he was without a teammate. They really should have seen him off as a result, and only have themselves to blame for failing to do so.
The drivers were at fault on Saturday, with Piastri making an error at Turn Two on his final flying lap and Norris losing time at the final chicane. Both were minor errors, but when you're up against a driver like Verstappen, you can't afford to make them.
With overtaking proving extremely difficult for everyone on race day, it was over to the team to find a way past the Dutchman, but instead of putting one of their drivers on a risky strategy, they played things safe.
Their decision to pit Norris on the same lap as Verstappen was especially difficult to understand, with it all but guaranteeing that the Red Bull would keep track position. If they'd kept the Brit out instead, he could have picked up the pace in clean air and maybe pulled off the overcut, and if he wasn't quick enough to, he would've at least had fresher tyres than his rival for the closing stages. Instead, he was forced to take a huge risk and try to overtake his rival in the pit lane.
To me at least, it feels like the team didn't want to end up in a situation where Norris' strategy didn't work out and he ended up behind Piastri, forcing them to either upset their lead driver by not issuing team orders or upsetting the Aussie by telling him to let his teammate past. The same can be said for their decision not to swap their drivers and let Piastri have a shot at Verstappen when he was looking quicker.
Sure, they did avoid that uncomfortable situation and the internal conflict that it could've caused, but they also let Verstappen win the race and move to just a point behind Norris in the standings as a result.
With a weaker car and no teammate to assist him, Verstappen is vulnerable at the moment, but that may not be the case for long with Red Bull confident they can improve their machinery and Tsunoda showing signs of potential in Japan.
If they want to beat him and win their first drivers' title since 2008, McLaren have to build up a lead before either of those things happen, and they need to be more willing to take risks to do that.
Rookies begin to blossom
As we entered the time of year when the cherry blossoms begin to bloom in Japan, so too did Formula 1's rookies, with three of them scoring points at Sazuka.
Kimi Antonelli was the one to make the headlines with the Mercedes driver becoming the youngest driver ever to lead a Formula 1 Grand Prix, the first rookie to score points in his first three races since Hamilton and also setting a new in-race lap record at the track.
Behind him though, Isack Hadjar and Ollie Bearman were also hugely impressive, qualifying inside the top 10 and finishing the race there too to score some much-needed points for their teams.
Antonelli is getting closer and closer to George Russell, while Bearman is looking to be more than a match for Esteban Ocon. They're both already holding their own against top drivers.
With the Italian already at Mercedes and Bearman and Hadjar being Ferrari and Red Bull products, respectively, these are three young drivers who could soon be fighting at the very front of the field for years to come.
