Max Verstappen overcomes McLaren pair to secure his fourth consecutive Japanese F1 GP victory
Max Verstappen clinched the Japanese Grand Prix for Red Bull with a dominant performance from pole position at Suzuka, finishing ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who took second and third, News.Az informs via Guardian.
It was a fine run from the Dutchman in a car that is not the quickest in the field to secure his first victory of the season. Charles Leclerc was in fourth for Ferrari, with his teammate Lewis Hamilton in seventh. George Russell and Kimi Antonelli were in fifth and sixth for Mercedes.
The race was close until the finish, with the front three within two seconds of one another for the most part, but Verstappen controlled it with great skill. McLaren might have had a shot at putting Norris into the lead through the stops but took an identical strategy to the Dutchman, who emerged with his lead intact by a whisker.
The victory came against the odds, given how strong McLaren have been over the opening meetings this season. Verstappen was enormously pleased to claim pole with an exceptional lap in qualifying, but to then convert it into a victory was a major achievement – though McLaren will be left rueing their strategy calls.
Verstappen is still struggling with the balance of the Red Bull, which has an alarming tendency to veer between oversteer and understeer, as well as a debilitatingly narrow operating window. To bully it to victory on an immensely challenging circuit was a triumph.
Verstappen’s fourth consecutive win at Suzuka means he has closed the gap in the driver standings, Norris now leading him by only one point after three meetings – no little achievement given the superiority of the McLaren in the opening rounds.
Verstappen held his lead from pole on the short drag into turn one with Norris and Piastri slotting in behind him. The front three swiftly moved into a pattern, a second between them until Norris dropped back to just over two seconds behind, as he looked to manage his tyres by lap eight, in what was expected to be a one-stop race, while Piastri stuck firmly to his tail.
Mercedes opted to pit Russell on lap 19 and McLaren followed, bringing in Piastri a lap later to cover it. Verstappen and Norris then both came in together and exited side by side, Norris going off onto the grass as they rejoined the track. Norris believed he had been forced off by the Dutchman, Verstappen that the British driver had simply run out of road where two cars were exiting at once. Verstappen held his line, as he is allowed to do, and did not turn in on his rival.
Similar news
