F1: Verstappen Dominates Japanese GP as Red Bull Secures 1-2 Finish

Max Verstappen cruised to victory at the Japanese Grand Prix, shrugging off concerns about Red Bull's race pace. The Dutchman led his teammate Sergio Perez to secure the team's third 1-2 finish of the season. However, it was a disastrous afternoon for Daniel Ricciardo, who caused a red flag stoppage when he collided with Alex Albon on the opening lap.

The race began with Verstappen on pole position, and he maintained his lead unchallenged into Turn 1. The Safety Car was deployed on lap 1 after Albon and Ricciardo crashed heavily at Turn 2, resulting in a red flag.

After the repair work on the barriers was completed, the race resumed with a standing start. Verstappen once again got off to a great start, with Perez and Lando Norris following closely behind. As the race progressed, Verstappen pulled away from Perez, who in turn dropped Norris.

Charles Leclerc showcased an impressive race pace, particularly during his first stint on the medium tyres. The Monégasque driver's strong performance allowed him to stay out longer than his rivals, making him the last driver to pit. This strategy helped Leclerc leapfrog from P8 to P4, completing the race with just one pit stop.

Mercedes struggled with their strategy, as Lewis Hamilton and George Russell battled understeer on the hard tyres. Norris, Carlos Sainz, and Fernando Alonso all managed to overtake the Mercedes duo.

Verstappen pitted on lap 17, handing the lead to Leclerc, who continued to exhibit strong pace on his first stint. The Dutchman quickly regained the top spot on lap 21 after Leclerc made his sole pit stop. Perez and Alonso pitted for the second time on lap 34, while Sainz waited until lap 37 to make his stop.

In the closing stages of the race, Sainz, on fresher tyres, chased down his teammate Leclerc and overtook him for third place. Russell, also on fresher tyres, battled with Oscar Piastri and Alonso for position, ultimately passing Piastri on the last lap to secure seventh place. Alonso impressively managed to hold on to P6, which is also his best performance at Suzuka in years.

Yuki Tsunoda had an incredible race in the Visa Cash App RB at his home grand prix, finishing in the points to the delight of the Japanese fans. Ricciardo's retirement was disastrous, as he was once again beaten by his teammate. This result could put his future at the team in jeopardy and potentially end his F1 career.

In the midfield, Nico Hulkenberg managed to finish 11th for Haas, just outside the points, while his teammate Kevin Magnussen struggled and finished 13th. Lance Stroll had a quiet race for Aston Martin, crossing the line in 12th. Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu had a challenging outing for Alfa Romeo, with Bottas finishing 14th and Zhou retiring due to a technical issue on lap 13.

The Alpine duo of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly had a lacklustre performance, finishing 15th and 16th, respectively. Logan Sargeant, the sole remaining Williams driver after Albon's retirement, completed the race in 17th place.

Logan Sargeant's struggles continued as he had a couple of moments on the track despite being right at the back of the grid, ultimately finishing 17th for Williams.

Verstappen took the chequered flag, claiming his third win of the season, with Perez completing the Red Bull 1-2. Sainz finished third, marking his third podium of the year. Leclerc's one-stop strategy, thanks to his impressive first stint on the mediums, helped him secure fourth place, ahead of Norris and Alonso, while Piastri, Hamilton, and Tsunoda completed the points-scoring positions.

Result

1. Max VERSTAPPEN (Red Bull) winner

2. Sergio PEREZ (Red Bull) +12.535

3. Carlos SAINZ (Ferrari) +20.866

4. Charles LECLERC (Ferrari) +26.522

5. Lando NORRIS (McLaren) +29.700

6. Fernando ALONSO (Aston Martin) +44.272

7. George RUSSELL (Mercedes) +45.951

8. Oscar PIASTRI (McLaren) +47.525

9. Lewis HAMILTON (Mercedes) +48.626

10. Yuki TSUNODA (Visa Cash App RB) +1 lap

11. Nico HULKENBERG (Haas) +1 lap

12. Lance STROLL (Aston Martin) +1 lap

13. Kevin MAGNUSSEN (Haas) +1 lap

14. Valtteri BOTTAS (Alfa Romeo) +1 lap

15. Esteban OCON (Alpine) +1 lap

16. Pierre GASLY (Alpine) +1 lap

17. Logan SARGEANT (Williams) +1 lap

Did not finish

• Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo) – technical – lap 13

• Daniel Ricciardo (Visa Cash App RB) – crash – lap 1

• Alex Albon (Williams) – crash – lap 1