The Red Bull team claimed a commanding 1-2 finish in front of their beloved Japanese fans. The reigning three-time world champion Max Verstappen claimed his 57th career win this weekend and became the second driver after Michael Schumacher to have won the Japanese Grand Prix three times in a row.
Behind the Red Bulls, Ferrari fiercely asserted themselves as the season's second-best team with strong performances from both Leclerc and Sainz, the latter taking the final step of the podium.
Verstappen's Suzuka hat trick was another masterclass in control, leading from pole to podium with brutal efficiency, even after a nail-biting restart following a dramatic collision further back. Ferrari, on the other hand, unleashed strategic wizardry, with Charles Leclerc pulling off a tall one-stop wonder and Carlos Sainz executing a bold offset strategy, securing third and fourth places respectively.
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The race kicked off with fireworks as Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon tangled early on, triggering a red flag. While it was deemed a racing incident, both will likely be rueing the crash for their own reasons.
A myriad of strategic gambits up and down the field kept the race interesting, with Mercedes throwing a curveball by opting for a switch to hard tyres, shaking up the order. Sergio Perez mounted a thrilling comeback to second, while teammate Verstappen capitalised on a crucial pitstop to extend his lead.
McLaren's Lando Norris initially posed a threat but found himself outmanoeuvred by Ferrari’s strategy. Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz showcased his podium prowess with a masterful drive, notching up his third consecutive top-three finish of the season.
Mercedes endured a rollercoaster race, with Lewis Hamilton struggling to match the pace of his teammate and finishing a lowly ninth. Russell seemed to extract the most out of the tricky W15 as he executed some daring overtakes in the dying stages to cross the line in seventh right behind Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin.
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Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda, the lone RB driver for most of the race, sent the home crowd into a frenzy with his gutsy performance, clinching the final point amid fierce competition in the midfield.
Alpine's dreams fizzled with Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly failing to make a dent in the leaderboard. Despite others' misfortunes, they could only muster 15th and 16th places respectively.
Finishing Order:
DNF:
Image 2,3,4- formula1.com (Source)
