SUZUKA, Japan (AP) — Max Verstappen secured victory at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, claiming his inaugural win of the current season and only his third triumph in 17 races. However, he had to deliver what his Red Bull team engineer described as an "immaculate" performance to achieve this feat.
It marked Verstappen's consecutive win at the Suzuka circuit in central Japan for the fourth time in a row, disrupting the momentum of his competitors. McLaren team consisting of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri , who claimed victory in the first two races of the season held in Australia and China.
We still have some tasks ahead of us," Verstappen stated. "However, it indicates that if we get every detail right, we can be at the forefront.
He did just that.
The four-time consecutive Formula 1 champion, Verstappen started from pole position After establishing a record-breaking time during qualifying, which he described as "insane," Norris secured second place, with Piastri finishing third. Despite early rainfall, the track remained dry throughout the event, resulting in a smooth and incident-free race.
Charles Leclerc from Ferrari came in fourth place, closely followed by George Russell from Mercedes and his team mate Kimi Antonelli who secured the sixth position. Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda came in 12th in his initial race with Red Bull's leading squad.
“Keep pushing,” Verstappen stated. “Incredible. It’s been a fantastic weekend for us.”
After three out of 24 races, Norris tops the driver’s championship with 62 points, just one point ahead of Verstappen who has 61.
The weekend shifted direction when Verstappen secured the pole position with his record-breaking lap during Saturday’s qualifying session. On Sunday, the sole noteworthy event has been labeled as the "grass-cutting moment.”
Many of the drivers engaged in intense competition around lap 20. At this point, both Verstappen and Norris exited their pit stops nearly simultaneously. However, Norris had to drive onto the grass when attempting to pass Verstappen and could not regain his position on the track.
"He went off into the grass," Verstappen stated over the radio.
Norris stated he had no issues with Verstappen.
He held the position and had every right to act as he did," Norris stated. "He maintained his lead. Everything converges at this point. And Max is the last person I anticipate offering me any room.
Race stewards agreed.
Following the race, Verstappen acknowledged Japanese manufacturer Honda, marking the conclusion of their partnership with the Red Bull team this season. Notably, his victory occurred at the Suzoka track, operated by Honda.
“Pushing really hard towards the finish line made it exciting,” Verstappen commented. “Both McLaren cars maintained intense pressure. We continued refining our vehicle, and today we presented its optimal configuration.”
Absolutely, beginning from the pole position — that's what allowed me to secure victory in this race.
Norris stayed closely behind Verstappen throughout most of the race, finding it difficult to overtake on the tight Suzuka track.
"I had a clear view of Max throughout the entire race, yet I couldn't really gain any ground," Norris remarked, acknowledging that Verstappen’s perfect performance gave him no opportunities.
"I don't require anybody to inform me about what Max can accomplish," he stated.
Piastri and Norris both indicated that their vehicles have been marginally faster than most this year. However, the difference with other top teams like Red Bull, Mercedes, and Ferrari remains small.
I believe we hold a slight edge," Piastri stated. "However, one minor error could allow plenty of competitors to take advantage.
The beginning on Sunday was smooth as Verstappen took the lead, with the front-runners aligning themselves accordingly. Over the first few laps, Verstappen gradually increased his gap and had built up a two-second lead over Norris by lap 10 out of 53 total. This margin remained consistent through lap 15.
Initially taking the lead midway through the race when he opted for a longer stint on his opening set of tires, Antonelli momentarily shone. At just 18 years old, he became the youngest driver to have led an F1 race. Furthermore, he secured the fastest lap, adding another 'youngest' record to his achievement list.
After completing 32 laps, Verstappen reclaimed the top position, with a margin of just 1.3 seconds over Norris and 3.4 seconds clear of Piastri. During the 36th lap, the team communicated via radio, "Maintain this pace."
He went full throttle right up to his 64th career victory.
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
Stephen Wade, The Associated Press
