Japanese GP - Race

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MSC Cruises Japanese GP

Race

April 7, 2024

Verstappen Secures Third Japanese GP Victory, Perez and Sainz Complete the Podium

SUZUKA, Japan — Max Verstappen made a triumphant return to the top of the podium at the Japanese Grand Prix, securing a commanding win ahead of his Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz. Two weeks after a brake fire curtailed his Australian Grand Prix and handed the win to Sainz, Verstappen delivered a flawless performance, reinstating Red Bull's dominance in the series.

After crossing the finish line, Verstappen expressed his satisfaction on the team radio: "Yes, that was a very lovely race. The car just got better and better throughout the race. Well done, a really good result for the team."

Verstappen finished with a comfortable 12.5-second lead over Perez and 20 seconds ahead of Sainz, increasing his championship lead to 13 points with four races completed in this record-breaking 24-race season.

Verstappen had to defend his pole position at Turn One twice after the race was halted by a red flag on the first lap due to a collision between Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon. Once the race resumed, Verstappen maintained his lead, with only pit stop timing affecting his position.

He told Mark Webber in a post-race chat: "It was very nice. I think the critical bit was the start to stay ahead, after that the car just got better and better for me throughout the race. I had a bit to do with the clouds coming in but very nice, everything went well -- pit stops went well, strategy went well. Couldn't have been any better.

He continued, "It was a little hiccup the last race, but very happy we are here back on top. Great fans and it's good to be here," he added.

Perez, who has shown a significant improvement in form compared to the latter part of 2023, earned his third podium in four races.

Perez commented, "It was a good weekend for the team first of all. Doing the restart again, it's always hard to keep focus for such a long period of time. My second start was just a little bit better, just not enough to get Max. I think we paid the price a little bit, we were a little bit off-balance, we couldn't keep it alive. We were undercut by Lando [Norris].

He added, "We are in a good momentum, last year here was probably my worst weekend. I think if we are strong in places like this, we can be strong anywhere else. It's been a good weekend."

The fight for third place was fiercely contested among Sainz, Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, and McLaren’s Lando Norris, with Sainz securing the position by overtaking Leclerc five laps before the end.

Sainz remarked after the race, "I had a good race to be honest, very happy,"

"It was quite tough out there with the degradation, then suddenly the clouds came the degradation went a lot lower and then I thought one-stop was quicker and we were on the two [stop].

He continued, "I had to overtake a lot of cars out there today -- overtaking is tricky at Suzuka you really need to nail the last chicane to get a good run turn one. I thought it was going to be very difficult to get back into to P4, P3 with how tricky it was to overtake the Mercedes on the second stint and and how difficult it was to follow ... I was quick on that hard tyre and liked how it gave me a good feeling to push," he added.

Leclerc, who opted for a one-stop strategy following a tire change during the restart, managed to secure fourth place, finishing ahead of Norris. McLaren’s early pit stop strategy for Norris is likely to face scrutiny given their competitive edge over Ferrari this weekend.

Norris ended up in fifth place, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, Mercedes’ George Russell, and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri rounding out the top eight.

Russell overtook Piastri on the penultimate lap, but both drivers will be summoned by the stewards after the race due to Piastri's aggressive defense, which was subject to review.

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Japanese GP 2024 F1 Race Results

1. Max Verstappen, Red Bull (1:54:23.566)

2. Sergio Pérez, Red Bull (+12.535)

3. Carlos Sainz, Ferrari (+20.866)

4. Charles Leclerc, Ferrari (+26.522)

5. Lando Norris, McLaren (+29.700)

6. Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin (+44.272)

7. George Russell, Mercedes (+45.951)

8. Oscar Piastri, McLaren (+47.525)

9. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes (+48.626)

10. Yuki Tsunoda, RB (+1 Lap)

11. Nico Hülkenberg, Haas (+1 Lap)

12. Lance Stroll, Aston Martin (+1 Lap)

13. Kevin Magnussen, Haas (+1 Lap)

14. Valtteri Bottas, Sauber (+1 Lap)

15. Esteban Ocon, Alpine (+1 Lap)

16. Pierre Gasly, Alpine (+1 Lap)

17. Logan Sargeant, Williams (+1 Lap)

Ret. Zhou Guanyu, Sauber (+41 Laps)

Ret. Daniel Ricciardo, RB (+53 Laps)

Ret. Alexander Albon, Williams (+53 Laps)