Four-time world champion Max Verstappen yesterday led from pole to checkered flag to win the Japanese Grand Prix, his first victory of this season, with McLaren’s Lando Norris second.
The Dutch Red Bull driver crossed the finish line almost 1.5 seconds in front of Briton Norris, who held off his McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri of Australia in third.
The win on a damp but drying track at Suzuka was Verstappen’s fourth straight victory in Japan and closed the gap on Norris at the top of the drivers’ championship to one point.
Photo: AFP
“It was tough. The McLarens were pushing me very hard,” Verstappen said.
“It was a lot of fun, but not easy pushing the tires. I am incredibly happy,” he said. “Starting on pole made it possible to win.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished fourth ahead of the Mercedes pair of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton was seventh, with RB’s Isack Hadjar next ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon and Haas’ Oliver Bearman.
Yuki Tsunoda finished 12th in his first race for Red Bull since replacing Liam Lawson, having started from 14th on the grid in his home grand prix. Lawson was 17th for RB.
Verstappen and Norris were involved in a flash point midway through the race as the two front-runners emerged from a pit stop.
Norris drew up alongside Verstappen, but the Dutchman refused to budge, and Norris was forced onto the grass before sliding back onto the track.
Norris said: “He forced me off,” but Verstappen told his team that he was not to blame.
“He drove himself onto the grass,” Verstappen said.
Stewards reviewed the incident and decided not to investigate further.
Verstappen has struggled to get to grips with his Red Bull this season, finishing second in Australia and fourth in China.
However, he pulled off a lap for the ages in qualifying in Suzuka, pipping Norris to claim his first pole of the season in a track-record time.
Verstappen got away cleanly from Norris and Piastri at the first turn, with little change in the grid.
The Dutchman quickly established control by laying down the fastest lap and his lead grew over the early part of the race.
Eighteen-year-old rookie Antonelli briefly took the lead while Verstappen and Norris were in the pits, to become Formula One’s youngest-ever race leader.
Verstappen soon reclaimed the lead, and his team gave him the green light to push until the end of the race.
The two McLarens stayed on his tail, with Piastri telling his team “I have the pace to get Max,” but Verstappen could not be caught.
Conditions at Suzuka had been dry all week, with a series of small trackside fires halting practice several times, but rain early yesterday removed any chance of a repeat in the race.
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