Max Verstappen came back from his retirement in Australia with a dominant drive to victory in Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix, beating Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.
Verstappen led from start to finish, with warmer-than-expected weather, a variety of tyre strategies, and a first-lap accident involving RB’s Daniel Ricciardo and Williams’ Alex Albon all contributing to the action.
It was the Dutchman’s third consecutive pole-to-victory conversion at Suzuka, as well as his third win in four races in 2024, strengthening his lead in the drivers’ championship, which had been weakened by a brake-related retirement at Albert Park.
Perez, fresh from a stronger qualifying performance that saw him finish just over half a second off pole, backed up Verstappen to give Red Bull another one-two finish after their immaculate starts in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia this season.
Sainz, the winner of the Australian Grand Prix, was the last of the front-runners to make their last pit stop, and he took advantage of fresher rubber to clear McLaren’s Lando Norris and teammate Charles Leclerc in the final circuits – the latter having made one stop fewer on an alternate plan.
Leclerc held Norris at bay in fourth and fifth places, respectively, while Fernando Alonso continued to lead Aston Martin’s charge en way to sixth, finishing just ahead of the warring Mercedes and McLaren machines.
Piastri, on aging hard tires, and Russell, on newer medium tyres, came close to collision near the finish of the race when they went wheel-to-wheel at the final chicane, with the stewards investigating the incident after the Australian claimed he was forced off the track.
Lewis Hamilton duplicated Russell’s plan on route to ninth, having questioned Mercedes’ strategy earlier in the race, while home hero Yuki Tsunoda took the final point available for himself and RB as he pushed his way to 10th via a series of excellent overtakes.
