- Verstappen secures pole position, maintaining flawless single-lap record
- Red Bull asserts dominance, Pérez finishes second in Japanese Grand Prix
- Hamilton pleased with Mercedes performance, finishes seventh in Suzuka
After securing the prime position for the Japanese Grand Prix, Max Verstappen has maintained an unblemished record in the single lap this season, going four from four. With remarkable ease, the world champion put his Red Bull through its tests at Suzuka, a track he adores, despite the formidable challenge that awaited him. Because comrade Sergio Pérez finished in second place, it was indisputable that Red Bull had definitively established its early season dominance.
Verstappen has maintained an unwavering focus on the ball throughout the entire weekend, without a single moment of doubt. Pérez, who was six hundredths back, exerted considerable pressure on him, but McLaren’s Lando Norris came closest among the remaining competitors, securing third place with a magnificent run but nearly three-tenths separating him from the leading two.
Norris’ evaluation of the opposition provided valuable insight into Suzuka’s renewed emphasis on the true hierarchy in Formula One this season. Although the 26-year-old was ecstatic to have secured his highest-finishing grid position of the year, he was resigned to the reality that the Red Bulls had undoubtedly already secured the day.
In Suzuka the previous year, when the McLarens were also performing exceptionally well, he and his sixth-placed teammate Oscar Piastri passed Verstappen three times through the first turn, but the Dutchman held onto his position. Sunday, another assault of this nature was the bare minimum that Norris could hope for.
“In turn one last year, I was side-by-side with Max, so hopefully I can achieve that this year, but it is difficult because they are so quick,” he said. “They have not had a poor race in the past four or five years, even though they have complained about their race pace during practice. Tomorrow, they are going to be excellent.”
As Japan was, in general, the best indicator thus far of the team’s true form for the season, Norris acknowledged that Red Bull’s pace could not be denied and that the opposition’s best-case scenario would be a podium finish, similar to what he and Piastri accomplished last year.
“We demonstrated last year that we could maintain contact and not fall significantly behind, so that will be our objective for tomorrow; however, we are too far away to challenge them,” he explained. For us, they are too quick.” “Although we are quicker in qualifying, they always pull away a bit more in the race. Being completely realistic, I believe our competition consists of the teams in the back.”
Verstappen’s 36th career pole position is precisely the recovery he desired following the brake failure that cost him a probable victory in the final round in Australia, which left him utterly disheartened. Additionally, this is his third consecutive victory in Japan, and after converting the previous two into dominant triumphs, the 26-year-old will be hoping to take the lead early on Sunday.
With its abundance of fast corners, the Red Bull is ideally adapted to the high-speed, high-energy circuit, whereas the car, which is extraordinarily tire-forgiving, will have an advantage on the abrasive, high-degradation surface.
The team also presented the first batch of season-long enhancements at this meeting, which included floor and brake improvements as well as new cooling inlets. Following an exceptionally impressive beginning, they seem to have sustained their lead over their competitors.
Verstappen launched powerfully in qualifying, and the Dutchman held a significant lead by the conclusion of his first hot lap. Until Norris increased the pressure, he finished nearly four-tenths ahead of Pérez with his McLaren positioned 2.5 tenths adrift in second.
During the final laps, Verstappen regained control, but his teammate did contribute a respectable lap. Although the reigning world champion completed the first sector even faster than Pérez, he was defeated in the middle. However, a lap-ending improvement by the champion, who finished in 1min 28.197sec, was sufficient to secure the victory; his time was only six hundredths ahead of his teammate. Norris was unable to progress, but his third-place finish was commendable nonetheless.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished seventh and ninth, respectively, for Mercedes, but Hamilton was content. He remarked that the vehicle felt “the best it has in the past three years” and that its performance, particularly in the first sector, where balancing is crucial, was extremely encouraging and provided him with invaluable information to relay to the team regarding its current shortcomings. Fourth place was held by Carlos Sainz of Ferrari, and fifth was Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin.
After failing to complete the race in Australia, Verstappen leads Charles Leclerc by only four points in the drivers’ championship, despite having completed the first two circuits with victories. Similarly, Red Bull holds a four-point advantage over Ferrari in the constructors’ table.
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A jubilant reception greeted the local hero Yuki Tsunoda, who placed his RB in Q3 and ultimately finished in tenth position. Oscar Piastri and Leclerc finished sixth and eighth, respectively, for McLaren and Ferrari. Mercedes was fined €5,000 and Russell was investigated for an unsafe discharge into the pit lane during Q1.
11th place went to Daniel Ricciardo of RB, 12th to Nico Hülkenberg of Haas, 13th to Valtteri Bottas of Sauber, 14th to Alex Albon of Williams, and 15th to Esteban Ocon of Alpine. Lance Stroll of Aston Martin finished sixteenth, Pierre Gasly of Alpine seventeenth, Kevin Magnussen of Haas eighteenth, Logan Sargeant of Williams nineteenth, and Guanyu Zhou of Sauber twentieth.
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