Today's Edition
Suzuka (DPA)
Max Verstappen returned to winning ways with an emphatic victory at the Japanese Grand Prix yesterday to help his Red Bull team clinch a second straight Formula One constructors’ world title and move close to a third drivers’ crown.
Verstappen only came under threat briefly at the start from McLaren’s Lando Norris as he roared to his 13th season victory and 48th overall, almost 20 seconds ahead of Norris, whose team-mate Oscar Piastri followed in third for a first GP podium.
Success came a week after Verstappen and his team missed the podium for the first time this year in Singapore, ending a run of 10 straight wins for the Dutchman and 15 in a row for Red Bull.
Even though Sergio Perez had to retire in a race to forget, Verstappen’s points were enough for Red Bull to seal the constructors’ crown with six races to spare at the home race of their engine partners Honda in Suzuka.
It was the sixth overall title for the team which has won 15 of the 16 season races and has completely dominated the sport in 2022 and 2023.
Celebrations are to continue at the next race in a fortnight in Qatar where Verstappen can wrap up a third drivers’ title in a row in the sprint race before the proper GP, leading Perez by 177 points. Red Bull have amassed 623 points, but even the 400 from Verstappen alone would be good enough to lead the constructors’ list as Mercedes in second have 305.
“What an unbelievable season we are having,” Verstappen said via team radio. “You can all be very proud here at the track and back at the factory. You guys built a rocketship of a car.”
He later added, “To win here was great. The car worked really well on every compound. The most important thing was to win the constructors. I had too much wheelspin at the start but after that it was a very straightforward race.”
Verstappen won the start but not after holding of a strong challenge from Norris who shot past Piastri into second. The safety car was deployed before the end of the lap to allow the track being cleared from debris after several opening straight contacts.
Perez’ car among those needed a new nose after contact with the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton. Perez was then hit with a five-second penalty for a safety car rule infringement, and his misery was complete when he needed another nose after hitting Kevin Magnussen’s Haas. He retired soon after – the first time a Red Bull has not seen the finish line this season in a full race – but bizzarely came out for one more lap later to serve the penalty.
Verstappen had no such problems as he won the restart into lap five and soon pulled away. Piastri had regained second when everyone had fresh rubbers but again Norris was quicker and the drivers soon swapped positions, under threat for a while from George Russell’s Mercedes who was on a one
stop strategy while the others pitted twice.
But Russell was unable to attack and finally had to settle for seventh, behind Charles Leclerc of Ferrari, Hamilton, and Singapore winner Carlos Sainz in the other Ferrari.
