Max Verstappen dominates at Suzuka to win Japanese GP and seal Constructors Championship for Red Bull; Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri complete podium for McLaren; Lewis Hamilton and George Russell twice go wheel to wheel as Mercedes finish fifth and seventh
Sunday 24 September 2023 13:45, UK
Max Verstappen claimed a dominant victory in an otherwise action-packed Japanese GP as Red Bull were crowned constructors' champions for a sixth time.
After narrowly holding onto the lead ahead of Lando Norris at the first corner, pole-sitter Verstappen eased to victory by 19 seconds.
Verstappen's 26 points mean that Red Bull can no longer be caught by Mercedes and Ferrari and are the first team to wrap up the Constructors' Championship with six races remaining.
Norris finished second ahead of McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, who secured his first podium finish in Formula 1.
"Unbelievable weekend. To win here was great," Verstappen said.
"The most important thing was to win the constructors. Very proud for everyone working at the track and at the factory. We are having an incredible year."
Charles Leclerc was fourth for Ferrari for the third consecutive race ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who twice battled wheel to wheel with Mercedes team-mate George Russell and did a brave overtake on old rival Fernando Alonso at 130R.
Carlos Sainz was sixth in the other Ferrari ahead of Russell, who had to settle for seventh having attempted to make a one-stop strategy work but slipped back in the closing stages.
Alonso was eighth for Aston Martin while Alpine secured a double points finish with Esteban Ocon ninth and Pierre Gasly 10th, with the pair swapping positions on the final lap on instruction from the team.
While Verstappen single-handedly delivered Red Bull their world title, it was a miserable afternoon for team-mate Sergio Perez who twice had to pit for new front wings after contact with Hamilton and Kevin Magnussen and then twice retired from the race.
Perez's failure to score points means Verstappen now holds a 177-point lead at the top of the Drivers' Championship and could be crowned world champion in the Sprint race at the Qatar GP next time out on October 7.
Japanese GP result
1) Max Verstappen, Red Bull
2) Lando Norris, McLaren
3) Oscar Piastri, McLaren
4) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari
5) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes
6) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari
7) George Russell, Mercedes
8) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin
9) Esteban Ocon, Alpine
10) Pierre Gasy, Alpine
At lights out pole-sitter Verstappen immediately moved across to cover Piastri but that created an opening to give Norris a glimpse of the lead from third but Verstappen just had enough grip to hold onto the lead through Turns 1 and 2.
After acing an early Safety Car restart, Verstappen was never threatened as he cruised out front to win comfortably by nearly 20 seconds.
It has long looked a formality that Red Bull would be back-to-back world champions with the RB19 in a class of its own throughout the season.
Verstappen's win at Suzuka was the 15th by the team this year, with last week's race in Singapore the only blemish on the otherwise unbeaten record in 2023.
The 2023 season has seen Red Bull surpass McLaren's 1988 record for most consecutive wins - setting new benchmarks of 14 straight wins within a season and 15 consecutive victories overall.
"It's been the most amazing race for us and most amazing year. It's a testament to these guys - all the men and women back in the factory at Milton Keynes," team boss Christian Horner said.
"To Red Bull and all our partners, it's a collection of an incredible effort of everyone doing their bit to achieve results like we have done and Max is on just another level at the moment."
With six races remaining, Red Bull will now be looking to surpass Mercedes' record for most wins in a single season which stands at 19 from 2016.
Verstappen meanwhile will have his first opportunity to wrap up his third consecutive world championship at the Qatar GP, with the Sprint weekend next up from October 6-8.
Perez's travails means Verstappen could be crowned champion on the Saturday of that weekend. His contact with Hamilton had been a cause of the opening lap Safety Car and after further damage when making a desperate overtake attempt on Magnussen, the Mexican first retired on lap 15.
He re-emerged briefly on lap 39 in order for Red Bull to let him serve his five-second penalty for the Magnussen collision, before exiting the race again on lap 42.
Piastri may have lost out to Norris at the start, but pitting under the Virtual Safety Car after Perez hit Magnussen allowed him to get back ahead of his McLaren team-mate.
But Norris was quicker on fresher tyres after his later stop, and fearing what Russell might manage on a one-stop or gain from another Safety Car, McLaren told Piastri to let his team-mate by.
After his second stop, Piastri swiftly passed Russell to reclaim third and seal his first Grand Prix podium in F1, having finished second in the Belgian GP Sprint.
"It feels pretty special definitely. I will remember it for a very, very long time. I can't thank the team enough for giving me this opportunity," Piastri said.
"There are not many people who get this opportunity in their whole life and I've managed to have it in my first season.
"It wasn't my best race ever but it was enough to get a trophy at the end, so super happy."
Norris said of McLaren's double podium: "Another amazing day for us, a P2 and a P3.
"My start was very good. I almost had Max. Max is Max as well so I didn't have much chance into Turn Two. But I tried and the pace was extremely strong comparing to everyone.
"We're not close to Max but we are not miles away either so I'm very happy. Also for Oscar as well, it's his first podium in Formula 1 so congrats to him."
Perez and Hamilton had touched while going four-wide with the two Ferraris into the first corner, while Alex Albon's Williams was sent briefly airborne by an Alfa Romeo at the start.
On the first full lap of racing, Russell got past team-mate Hamilton at the final chicane to take seventh place but back came the seven-time world champion and despite losing parts of his car after the earlier damage, Hamilton reclaimed the position at Turn One as the two Mercedes nearly touched.
On lap 16, the Mercedes pair duelled again after Hamilton went wide at Degner Two allowing Russell to close back up to him.
They were alongside each other through Spoon corner and nearly touched wheels again as both ran wide but Hamilton held on, prompting Russell to ask "are we fighting each other or the others?".
While Russell opted for 'Plan B' of a one-stop, Hamilton soon pitted and then produced a brave overtake on Alonso at 130R before swooping past Ocon's Alpine at Turn One as he made his way forwards again.
Russell's strategy saw him holding onto fourth with eight laps remaining, but Leclerc pulled off a brave move around the outside of Turn 2 before Mercedes asked the Brit to move aside for team-mate Hamilton.
Russell wanted to wait until the final lap, but duly let Hamilton through at Turn One with four laps to go before complaining his team-mate was not helping him defend against Sainz. "If you want to play the team game...he pushed me off the track earlier," Russell said on the radio.
Sainz duly overtook Russell a lap later but ran out of time to take fifth off Hamilton.
After a two-week break, Formula 1 returns to the Losail Circuit for the second-ever Qatar Grand Prix from October 6-8.
The Sprint weekend offers Max Verstappen his first chance to wrap up the Drivers' Championship and become a three-time world champion.
The Dutchman requires an advantage of at least 172 points after the Sprint or at least 146 points after the Sunday Grand Prix to be crowned champion in Qatar.
Will Max Verstappen wrap up his third world championship at the first attempt at the Qatar GP? Watch every session of the Sprint weekend live on Sky Sports F1 from October 6-8. Stream F1 on Sky Sports with NOW. Cancel anytime
