Webbah87’s lead grew in Japan. So did the queue behind him. The Williams driver outscored Walter9500 by 21 points at Suzuka, stretching a five-point advantage to 26. Yet Kaтю́shа Snowstorm finished one place ahead of Webbah, collected 23 points and closed to within three of Walter.
At Baku, the chase was Webbah against Walter. It reaches Monza with Kat fully involved.
| D2 after Japan | Points | Gap to lead | Japan | Points in last three rounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Webbah87 | 144 | — | P3 | 66 |
| Walter9500 | 118 | 26 | P13 | 42 |
| Kaтю́shа Snowstorm | 115 | 29 | P2 | 51 |
Japan stretched Webbah’s lead and crowded the chase
Ferrari left Walter on old intermediate tyres after the third Safety Car in Japan. He fell through the order and finished 13th, while Webbah took third and scored 21 points.
Kat did even better. Her second place reduced a 26-point deficit to Walter to just three in a single round.
“Last round went well considering I was able to outscore Walter who made the wrong decision under that SC, but it has somewhat invited Kat into the battle.”
Webbah described Kat as “obviously very quick” and acknowledged the extra pressure that comes with watching two rivals.
“Having both of them on the chase will definitely be a challenge. For me nothing changes though, I just need to maximise what I can do and try to hold this healthy margin I have.”
His response is sensible. Webbah does not need to beat both challengers at every remaining round. Walter and Kat must recover 26 and 29 points respectively over Monza, Abu Dhabi and Brazil, so three strong scores may be enough even if either rival wins races.
The awkward part is deciding where the danger lies. A result that limits the damage to Walter could still allow Kat to close. Time spent racing Kat could give Walter an opportunity. Webbah has more breathing room than he did before Japan, but he also has twice as much to monitor.
Kat has spent two seasons knocking on the door
Kat’s second place at Suzuka was not a one-off. She finished runner-up in D2 in both Season 5 and Season 6.
| Kat in D2 | Championship finish | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season 5 | 2nd | 6 | 1 | 3 | 139 |
| Season 6 | 2nd | 14 | 1 | 5 | 210 |
| Season 7 through Japan | 3rd | 9 | 1 | 3 | 115 |
Kat only made six D2 starts in Season 5, yet scored 139 points with three poles, three podiums and a victory. Season 6 brought another win, five podiums and 210 points across 14 races. Both campaigns ended with her in second place.
Those near-misses give her a useful reference point for the next three rounds. Walter remains ahead, but Kat knows what a D2 run-in feels like and how quickly points can disappear. Her answer suggested she expects this opportunity to end differently.
“yes I believe I can win the championship, but 3 rounds isn’t a lot of time to catch 29 points. But it is 3 tracks I’m very good at and have quite a bit of success on each. In and out of this league. So I suggest Walter get more practice in”
Kat accepts that 29 points is a substantial gap with only three races left. Telling Walter to practise more reveals how she intends to approach it.
Kat had already offered an even more dramatic assessment of what another near miss would mean.
“if I finish third again I am going to quit the league”
We treat that threat as hollow. Kat has just become the newest addition to the IMS Server Admin team; taking on more responsibility would be a curious way to prepare for an exit. It sounds more like the frustration of a driver who has finished second twice and has no interest in settling for third.
Three races leave little room for a quiet weekend, but Kat sees Monza, Abu Dhabi and Brazil as favourable ground. Walter is the first target, and she clearly has no intention of accepting third as her ceiling.
Walter has gone from hunter to hunted
Walter remains second with one win and four podiums from eight starts. His scoreless Japanese Grand Prix says little about his underlying pace; Ferrari’s decision to leave him on worn intermediates after the final Safety Car intervention left him vulnerable as the order changed around him.
He is now squeezed between two separate demands. The 26-point deficit to Webbah is recoverable, but the three-point advantage over Kat can disappear with one position at Monza. Japan may prove to be an isolated strategic failure, yet it has removed any freedom Walter had to concentrate solely on the leader.
Walter must take points from Webbah without surrendering second to Kat. An aggressive race could cut the lead; a mistake could drop him to third. The driver who arrived in Japan as Webbah’s sole challenger now has someone chasing him just as closely.
Monza tests whether Kat’s surge can last
Kat won the opening round, then endured a patchy middle stretch. Her last three finishes—fifth, fourth and second—have brought 51 points, nine more than Walter over the same period. Suzuka was also her best result since that opening victory.
Webbah remains in the strongest position. He leads by 26 points, has outscored both challengers across the last three rounds and can absorb one imperfect result without immediately falling behind.
His route to the title is no longer quite so tidy.
Kat cannot afford to wait. Another result like Japan would force Webbah to recalculate and push Walter into a genuine defensive battle. A return to the inconsistent form that marked the middle of her season would give both rivals room to pull away.
Webbah arrives as the leader. Walter remains his nearest rival. Kat is the one speaking as though both are targets.
She believes she can win the championship. Monza will show whether D2 needs to believe her.
