Plenitude for Hamilton, satisfaction for Bottas, self-defense for Verstappen: reactions from the top 3 in Suzuka
A landslide victory for Lewis Hamilton in Suzuka... here are the main statements from the top three drivers of this Japanese Grand Prix!
In Suzuka, Lewis Hamilton claimed his 71st career victory, the 50th for Mercedes, and the fifth on Japanese soil. Better yet, the current streak speaks for itself: the Briton has won six of the last seven races on the calendar! A momentum maintained with this Grand Prix, as no one threatened him during the 53 laps. To top it off, Sebastian Vettel, his only remaining rival for the title, stumbled once again, specifically alongside Verstappen’s Red Bull.
Still amazed by his car, Lewis Hamilton’s first words at the finish were tinged with a gentle euphoria: « I loved every second on the track: the weekend as a whole was incredible for the team. »
His feeling is illustrated as follows: « I had an incredible sensation. I was able to manage my tires the way I wanted. The team is still making progress! The guys you see here in the garage and those at the factory are working so hard to create this racing beast. I am so grateful. Our magnificent one-two finish shows the strength of the team over time. »
In the standings, Hamilton now has a 67-point lead over Vettel. If the Brit scores eight more points than the German in Austin, he will be crowned world champion for the fifth time. The main person concerned is already turning towards the next Grand Prix, in two weeks.
« When you finish a positive weekend and head to another Grand Prix, you don’t know what performance level will be. But we are often competitive in Austin. I can’t wait to unleash the horses there!
» Lewis Hamilton will arrive on familiar ground, as a winner of the last four races on the Texan track.
Another commanding drive, and a giant step towards a fifth drivers’ title for @LewisHamilton #JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 #F1 pic.twitter.com/0i83tu1q8F
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 7
Bottas and his best possible position
Second again, Valtteri Bottas perfectly fulfilled his role as teammate. Starting from the same position, the Finn was never able to put pressure on Lewis Hamilton. And obviously, he had little choice: once the start was done, the order was given not to swap positions. He executed this brilliantly, avoiding pitfalls and resisting Verstappen’s comeback at the end of the race.
« I knew it was going to happen like this », admitted driver #77 afterward, fully aware of his status after the order received a week ago in Sochi. He added: « we were tasked with bringing home the double. Everything went well at the beginning of the race. The pace was good, but I had blisters on my tires at the end of my second stint. I still achieved my goal: second place. »
Officially out of the title race, the former Williams driver will hope that Lewis Hamilton clinches the crown as early as Austin. And for good reason, once the Brit achieves the goal, Bottas can truly fight for victory. “I’m capable of challenging him,” already assures the one who consolidates his third place in the drivers’ standings, 11 points ahead of Räikkönen. Bottas also contributes to the team’s strong form in the constructors’ standings. Mercedes is currently 78 points ahead of Ferrari.
BOT: “I had some blistering on the rear left, which made the race more difficult” #JapaneseGP 🇯🇵 #F1 pic.twitter.com/XWWKhWKC8W
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 7
Verstappen is his own lawyer
The 21-year-old Dutchman had an eventful race! The main action of his Grand Prix was the collision with Vettel on the eighth lap, at the entrance of Spoon Curve. With the floor damaged, Verstappen managed to survive afterwards, in fine fashion. However, his assessment of the incident is uncompromising.
“It’s a corner where you can’t pass,” he told journalists, before pointing at Vettel. “He came understeering into my car, a bit like my collision with him in China this year. He could have passed easily if he had waited. It shows that even the most experienced drivers also make mistakes! I’m really happy to finish on the podium here again, especially after this incident.”
A little earlier, the Red Bull driver had another incident, with the second Ferrari. Starting third, Verstappen missed the braking for the last chicane, cut through the runoff area before returning rather uncourteously to the track, squeezing Räikkönen. The stewards swiftly issued a five-second penalty, applied during his pit stop. The accused defended himself confidently. « I thought I left enough space. Kimi chose the wrong line. That penalty was ridiculous. »
“Not extraordinary with the softs” according to his words during the first stint, Verstappen then attacked with the super-softs during the second. Proof of his strong end to the race, he finished 1.3 seconds behind Bottas. Frustrating in view of his penalty? In any case, driver #33 is one of the stars of Suzuka, with a third podium in as many races on this track. He also takes a significant lead over Daniel Ricciardo, with a 27-point advantage in the drivers’ standings.
