Max Verstappen’s domination in Formula One continued with a record-breaking victory at the Japanese Grand Prix, where he led nearly the entire race under sunny skies in central Japan.
His recent setback in Melbourne, Australia, seems insignificant compared to his overall mastery of F1.
In Melbourne, his race ended prematurely on the fourth lap due to rear brake issues that caused a fire.
However, there were no such setbacks this time around.Verstappen maintained his lead for the majority of the race, only briefly relinquishing it after a pit stop.
He crossed the finish line ahead of his Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, who trailed by 12.5 seconds, followed by Carlos Sainz of Ferrari, who finished 20 seconds behind the leader.
The three-time defending F1 champion continues to lead this season’s points standings, having won 22 of the last 26 races since the beginning of the 2023 season.
Only two other drivers have claimed victory during this period — Red Bull teammate Perez and Sainz, who won in Australia two weeks ago.
In response to a question, Sainz implied that Verstappen and Red Bull’s dominance is so overwhelming that the championship race might effectively be decided after just four out of 24 races.
“I think they are definitely going to have an advantage in the first third of the season until we bring in one or two upgrades,” Sainz said.
“But by that time maybe it’s a bit too late with the advantage they might have in the championship.”
Verstappen, however, maintains that the season will remain competitive and hinted that Red Bull could face challenges on street circuits.
“It’s still a very long season,” he said. “I don’t want to think about the rest of the season too much.”
The tightly packed first lap saw a red flag raised just seconds into the race when Alex Albon and Daniel Ricciardo collided on the second turn, bringing the race to a halt.
That incident turned out to be the only significant drama of the race.
“The critical bit was the start to stay ahead and after that the car just got better and better,” Verstappen said later. “It couldn’t have been any better.”
Both Albon and Ricciardo emerged from the collision seemingly unscathed. However, the restart was delayed by 30 minutes to facilitate the removal of cars from the track and clear debris.
Verstappen’s victory, his 57th career win, propelled his season points tally to 77, putting him 13 points ahead of Perez on 64. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari follows closely with 59 points, while Sainz trails with 55.
“It’s nice to win, and it’s nice to win here in Japan,” said Verstappen, whose car is powered by a Honda engine. “It’s always an important race for us and it’s great to win here in front of Honda.”
“Melbourne felt like a bit of a hiccup,” he added. “But what we did today is what we want to do and that’s what we aim to do every single weekend.”
Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda, representing the RB team, secured the 10th position, earning a valuable point.
The upcoming event is the Chinese Grand Prix in Shanghai, scheduled in two weeks. F1 hasn’t visited the circuit since 2019, with four races canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Additionally, an F1 sprint race is set to take place in China a day before the Grand Prix, which will reduce practice time on the unfamiliar track.
“It’s going to be quite hectic,” Verstappen said. “We’ve haven’t been there in a while — only one practice session to get into it again. So I think it will be quite interesting.”
Verstappen, Perez, and Sainz expressed criticism about the sprint race, noting that it reduces practice time. However, they acknowledged that it could enhance the weekend’s entertainment value for fans, potentially driving interest and revenue.
“I think it’s not great,” Verstappen said. “When you have been away from a track for quite a while, you never know what you’re going to experience. It would have been better to have a normal race weekend.”
Sainz added:
“I think it’s not a good choice to put the sprint after four or five years of absence. We also heard there is resurfacing going on.”
The Japanese Grand Prix took place amidst the cherry blossom season across the Japanese archipelago.
The Suzuka track, constructed by Honda, remains under the management of the Japanese car manufacturer.
Located southwest of Nagoya, Japan’s fourth-largest city, Suzuka stands as a hub of heavy industry.
Meanwhile, 26-year-old Verstappen dispelled rumors earlier this week suggesting a potential departure from Red Bull, possibly to join Mercedes.
“From my side, I’m very happy where I am. And, yeah, we want to keep it that way,” he said and even hinted at an early retirement.
“I have a contract with Red Bull until ’28,” he said. “After that, I first want to see if I actually even want to continue. That’s for me the most important.”
