Max Verstappen showcased his exceptional driving skills by securing victory at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday, outpacing the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. The Dutch driver’s ability to maintain composure under pressure was evident as he fended off two faster competitors, solidifying what Christian Horner, the Red Bull team principal, described as “one of the best weekends” in Verstappen’s Formula One career. Horner praised Verstappen's performance, stating, “The hard work was really done yesterday, but today again in the race, he was inch-perfect.”
Horner further noted, “McLaren were quick, but we were able to be that bit quicker to hold them off behind.” The race saw a remarkable display of skill and strategy as Verstappen managed to secure pole position during a chaotic qualifying session on Saturday, edging out Norris by a mere 0.012 seconds on his final lap. This qualifying round was interrupted for six minutes due to a grass fire that broke out for the fifth time that weekend.
The race conditions improved significantly, allowing Verstappen to quickly establish a two-second lead over Norris. Despite the McLaren cars' attempts to close the gap, they were unable to significantly challenge Verstappen for the lead. A critical moment occurred during the pit stops when both Verstappen and Norris pitted simultaneously. While Norris emerged nearly level with Verstappen in the pit lane, he found himself driving across the grass as Verstappen held his ground. Initially, Norris claimed that Verstappen had pushed him off the track, but later clarified that it was simply part of the racing dynamics. “He was still ahead,” Norris explained. “It kind of squeezes into one and Max is the last guy I expect to give me any space, in a good way and in a racing way, so nothing more than that.”
Ultimately, Norris finished in second place, with his teammate Piastri completing the podium in third. With this victory, Verstappen closed the gap to just one point behind Norris in the drivers’ championship standings. Reflecting on his race, Verstappen expressed his satisfaction, stating, “I’m incredibly happy. It started off quite tough this weekend, but we didn’t give up; we kept improving the car, and today it was in its best form. Of course, starting on pole really made it possible to win this race.”
In a different turn of events, Carlos Sainz, who finished in 14th place, faced his own challenges. He experienced a “stomach issue” that caused him to arrive late for the pre-race national anthem, leading to a fine of €20,000 (approximately $22,000) imposed by the FIA, the governing body of motorsport.
