Verstappen wins Japanese Grand Prix to extend Red Bull’s lead

Three-time world champion Max Verstappen bounced back from a disappointing outing in Australia two weekends ago to secure a commanding victory at the Japanese Grand Prix, leading a dominant Red Bull one-two finish with teammate Sergio Perez. Australian GP winner Carlos Sainz finished third ahead of co-driver Charles Leclerc to complete the podium. 

Verstappen’s victory extends his lead in the Drivers’ Championship, with Perez reclaiming second place ahead of Leclerc, while Red Bull occupies the top position in the constructors’ standing ahead of Ferrari with McLaren sitting comfortably at third. 

The race was marred by a first-lap crash involving Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon, prompting a red flag and a subsequent restart. Verstappen, starting from pole position, managed to maintain his lead after the restart and pulled away from Perez to claim the win by a comfortable margin.

Carlos Sainz continued his impressive form with a third-place finish, extending his streak of podium finishes for the 2024 season. Despite a strong showing from his teammate Charles Leclerc, who opted for an unconventional one-stop strategy, Sainz managed to overtake him to secure the final podium spot.

Lando Norris, who started from third on the grid, struggled to keep up with the pace of the Ferraris and ultimately finished fifth. Fernando Alonso impressed with a sixth-place finish in the Aston Martin, holding off late challenges from Oscar Piastri and George Russell.

Lewis Hamilton endured a challenging race, finishing ninth after struggling with understeer and opting for a one-stop strategy on hard tires. His decision to allow teammate Russell to pass him earlier in the race resulted in Russell finishing two places ahead of him. Yuki Tsunoda delighted the home crowd by clinching the final point in 10th place.

The Japanese GP extended Red Bull’s lead across the board, as they remain the team to beat this season, although from the looks of it, it does not seem like they intend to face any challenges from other teams for now. 

Leon Osamor