Red Bull Racing's leader, Max Verstappen, showcased his strong competitive ability at the Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday. He started from pole position and ultimately secured a dominant victory, ensuring Red Bull Racing clinched the team championship title for the second consecutive year.
This win marked Verstappen's 13th victory of the season, while his teammate Sergio Perez failed to finish the race. Currently, Verstappen leads Perez by 177 points, and if he performs well in the next race in Qatar, he can secure the overall championship title five rounds earlier.
In the Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen crossed the finish line ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris and AlphaTauri's Oscar Piastri. Despite Perez's retirement, Verstappen's victory helped Red Bull Racing secure the team championship.
Mercedes struggled in the race, with Lewis Hamilton finishing in fifth place and George Russell in seventh. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc finished fourth, while his teammate Carlos Sainz Jr. finished sixth.
Hamilton said in an interview with Sky Sports, "I pushed as hard as I could to get the highest possible position and stay ahead of Ferrari, but it was a tough battle. I've scored the most points for the team, and I'm working hard to stay ahead because I know it's crucial for everyone. We've put in a lot of effort to improve, but we still have some ground to cover. However, we did manage to overtake Ferrari, and that's a result of teamwork. While the road is long, we will continue to strive."
Verstappen had a disappointing performance in the previous race in Singapore, finishing in fifth place, but he bounced back with an impressive display of competitiveness at the Japanese Grand Prix. He said, "It's been an incredible weekend, and winning here is just amazing. The car performed exceptionally well on every set of tires, but the most important thing was winning the team championship. It's been an incredible year, and I'm very proud of the whole team."
Verstappen successfully fended off the dual threat from the McLaren team, overtaking Norris at the start to claim the lead position. He cleverly veered right to block Piastri, who had a better start, and quickly moved back left to prevent Norris from passing through the gap.
Norris, who also finished second in the Singapore Grand Prix, said that McLaren is gradually closing in on Red Bull Racing. He stated, "My start was perfect; I almost got ahead of Max, but Max is Max. We still have some way to go to catch up to him, but it's not too far off either."
The race also saw Australian rookie Oscar Piastri step onto the podium for the first time, securing third place. The 22-year-old driver expressed, "It feels very special, absolutely unforgettable. I'll remember this moment for a long time. I'm very grateful to the team for giving me this opportunity. It wasn't my best race, but it was enough to get me on the podium in the end."
There were some incidents of chaos at the start of the race, leading to the deployment of the safety car. Alfa Romeo's Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu suffered losses in the early stages of the race. Perez received a 5-second time penalty for a safety car infringement and retired a few laps later, telling his team "something doesn't feel right" with the car. He later returned to the track, ensuring he wouldn't serve the penalty in the next race.
Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner acknowledged that Perez experienced some setbacks during the race. He said, "Today wasn't his day, but he will bounce back. He's also an important part of this success."
Despite Perez not scoring any points, Red Bull Racing successfully secured the team championship. Horner commented, "It's been the most exciting year for us. Max is currently on another level, once again delivering incredible performances."
During the race, Russell and Hamilton attempted to chase down Leclerc but were eventually overtaken by Sainz. Aston Martin's Bottas, Williams' Lance Stroll, Alex Albon, and Logan Sargeant failed to finish.