Red Bull Secures Back-To-Back Constructors’ Titles With Max Verstappen Victory At Japanese GP
Max Verstappen comfortably won the F1 Japanese Grand Prix, moving him closer to the 2023 series championship.
Max Verstappen, the undisputed series leader, returned to his ruthless best on Sunday by winning the Japanese Grand Prix and taking a step towards earning his third straight Formula 1 drivers’ title.
The Red Bull driver took the lead early on and claimed his 13th victory of the year after finishing fourth last week in Singapore.
Lando Norris, a McLaren driver, finished second, 19.4 seconds behind Verstappen, while Oscar Piastri, a rookie from Australia, finished third for his maiden F1 podium.
Red Bull won the constructors’ championship this year with Verstappen’s victory, giving them their sixth overall and second consecutive victory.
Verstappen extended his advantage over Sergio Perez, a Red Bull colleague, to 177 points. At the Qatar Grand Prix from October 6–9, he may win his third straight championship.
Perez had a terrible day when he was penalized for colliding with Kevin Magnussen of Haas and had to leave the race after serving the punishment.
At Marina Bay in Singapore, Verstappen’s record-breaking 10-race winning streak stopped. Verstappen was keen to reclaim the top spot and travel to Japan. He won every practice at the quick Suzuka circuit before the race on Sunday, where he won the title in a race cut short by rain the previous year.
Max Verstappen made the most of the good conditions on Sunday.
Verstappen, Piastri, and Norris engaged in a wheel-to-wheel battle at the start of the race, but the Red Bull driver maintained an advantage through the opening two corners.
When Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas collided with another vehicle, leaving track debris, the safety car was deployed on the first lap. After his first pit stop, Verstappen was able to swiftly recover the lead and was never really challenged.
Fourth-place finisher and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes was Charles Leclerc of Ferrari.
