Red Bull’s Verstappen emerges victorious in Japan GP
SUZUKA, JAPAN: World champion Max Verstappen got back to winning ways on Sunday with a third straight pole-to-flag victory at the Japanese Formula One Grand Prix, leading team mate Sergio Perez across the line for a Red Bull 1-2 at Suzuka.
The Dutchman suffered his first retirement since 2022 in Melbourne last time out to snap a nine-race winning streak but had no mechanical issues this week in a dominant performance at a sunny Suzuka circuit to make it three wins from four races this season.
Verstappen, who becomes only the second driver to win three consecutive Japanese Grands Prix alongside seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher, now has a 13-point lead in the drivers standings over Perez.
Red Bull lead the constructor standings on 141 points ahead of Ferrari (120) and McLaren (69).
Ferrari’s other driver Carlos Sainz, the winner in Australia two weeks ago, rode fresher tyres in the latter stages of the race to grab the final podium spot, edging out Leclerc, who used a one-stop strategy.
But the Spaniard was more than 20 seconds behind Verstappen, underlining the gap between teams.
Sainz, who will be replaced at Ferrari next season by Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, said after the race he was nervous about how the competing strategies with his team mate would work out in the fight for third.
McLaren’s Lando Norris finished fifth with the Mercedes pair of George Russell and Hamilton down in a disappointing seventh and ninth.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso finished sixth, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri eighth.
RB’s Yuki Tsunoda finished 10th, securing points in his home grand prix for the first time to the delight of the crowd.
Alex Albon’s Williams and the RB of Daniel Ricciardo crashed into each other on the opening lap, triggering a red flag and a 30 minute delay while the debris was cleared and a barrier repaired. Both drivers emerged unscathed.
The wreck is another headache for Williams, who remain without a spare chassis for the next race in China, and for Ricciardo, who is under pressure having underperformed his less experienced team mate Tsunoda this season.