Japanese Grand Prix: Max Verstappen wins the race, driven by a Verstappen-McLaren battle
Max Verstappen won at Suzuka ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. He is back on the winning track for the first time this season.
Max Verstappen started on pole for the first time this season, with Lando Norris alongside him on the front row. They were followed by Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc. At the lights out, Max Verstappen maintains his first place, with the McLarens lurking. The top 10 is identical to the grid after the first corner.
The start of the race is calm, only Lewis manages to overtake Isack Hadjar. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen is complaining about gear shifts on the radio. His team promptly fixes the issue. At McLaren, Oscar Piastri continues to close in on Lando Norris. Will they switch positions at McLaren?
The pit stop shuffle begins on the 20th lap. If the drivers with soft tires have already stopped, it’s now time for the drivers on medium tires to do so. Verstappen and Norris pit at the same time. They find themselves side by side in the pit exit lane. The McLaren driver is forced to drive on the grass to avoid contact. All the teams are racking their brains to choose the right moment to stop. The gaps between drivers are small, so all strategies are valid in an attempt to overtake via pit stops. It works, for example, for Yuki Tsunoda, who gets ahead of Pierre Gasly.
The on-track action intensifies shortly after mid-race. Isack Hadjar makes a superb overtaking move on Carlos Sainz, which secures his place in the points. Eighth at the checkered flag, he scores the first points of his F1 career.
At Alpine, Jack Doohan is asked to let Pierre Gasly pass. Unfortunately, the Frenchman, starting in 11th position, is only 13th. Up front, the Verstappen-Norris duel continues to animate this Grand Prix. The Brit struggles to get close enough to benefit from the DRS. Oscar Piastri, on the other hand, is less than a second behind his teammate and puts him under pressure. The three drivers are neck and neck until the end. It’s the indomitable Max who emerges victorious from this battle. He claims victory at Suzuka, marking his first win of the season.
The standout performance of the day comes from Kimi Antonelli. Starting sixth on the grid, the rookie delivered an almost perfect race. He was briefly the race leader before pitting and finished as he started, securing a good handful of points for his team.
