- Max Verstappen easily won the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, guiding teammate Sergio Perez to a commanding one-two finish for Red Bull.
- Following a chaotic start, a collision between Daniel Ricciardo of RB and Alex Albon of Williams resulted in a red flag on the second lap of the race.
- To the pleasure of the Japanese fans, Tsunoda added to his point as he finished tenth.
Max Verstappen easily won the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, guiding teammate Sergio Perez to a commanding one-two finish for Red Bull.
Just two weeks before, Verstappen was not able to finish in Australia, but at Suzuka, where he started from pole and won his third grand prix of the year, he was in complete control of the race.
It was a dry, sunny day, and the Dutchman finished 12.535 seconds clear of Perez, who finished second ahead of Carlos Sainz of Ferrari in third position.
Max Verstappen celebrates winning the Japanese GP. Photo/ F1
After retiring from a race in Melbourne for the first time in two years due to a brake issue, Verstappen was back to his unbelievable best.
He led Perez to the first turn, as he established his dominance early in the race, marking his fourth pole position in as many races this season.
But for one member of the Red Bull family, the day was a nightmare as Daniel Ricciardo’s collision with Alex Albon on the first lap resulted in a red flag delay.
Recalling Suzuka as one of his favorite courses, Verstappen revealed this week that he had now won the Japanese Grand Prix three times in a row.
Racemate Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, who started from seventh on the grid, finished third, behind Sainz, the winner in Australia.
Early red flag
Albon and Ricciardo crash. Photo/ F1
Following a chaotic start, a collision between Daniel Ricciardo of RB and Alex Albon of Williams resulted in a red flag on the second lap of the race.
As they fought for position, Albon’s front wing collided with Ricciardo’s rear of the vehicle; both of them crashed into the wall, but escaped unharmed and forced to retire.
Verstappen continued where he left off ahead of Perez when the race began from a standing start.
Max Verstappen stopped on lap seventeen, handing the lead to Leclerc; however, the Red Bull driver regained the lead four circuits later.
On lap 37, Sainz made his pit stop, and Verstappen followed suit in P1 of a Red Bull 1-2. The Spaniard was running on new hard tires and was in P7, behind Hamilton. Russell pitted when he passed Hamilton at P5 a few minutes later. Two circuits later, Hamilton lost a second to a minor problem with his front right.
After losing it at the second Degner, Logan Sargeant pulled from the yellows, making his way back to the track and into the pits to get fresh tires.
Verstappen led Perez with ten laps remaining, ahead of Leclerc and Norris, while Sainz was leading the way on 10-lap fresher tires. Without following any team directives at Ferrari, he passed Norris and went for his teammate. On lap 47, Sainz easily passes the Monegasque driver as the Ferraris go head-to-head thanks to DRS and new tires.
Although Piastri was driven off the track, Russell, a driver using newer tires than those in front of him, continued to lead the Mercedes driver in their duel. Alonso utilized the DRS to assist Piastri in keeping Russell behind him, just as Sainz did in Singapore during the previous season.
Verstappen triumphed over Perez to win his third of the season and give Red Bull a third consecutive title 1-2. Third place on the podium belonged to Sainz for the third time. Leclerc came in fourth, ahead of Alonso and Norris, and Russell took seventh position after passing Piastri on the final lap. Piastri, with Hamilton P9, came in ninth.
To the pleasure of the Japanese fans, Tsunoda added to his point total on a day when Ricciardo threw away his copybook. He brought his RB home in tenth place.
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