Despite a hectic first lap, Max Verstappen triumphed at the Japanese Grand Prix this Sunday, bringing him closer than ever to his third consecutive Formula One world championship. Starting from pole, the Red Bull driver bounced back from a third-place finish in Singapore to secure his 13th victory of the season. Furthermore, this win officially crowned Red Bull as the constructors' champions for the second year running and the sixth time in the team's history, clinching the title with six races to spare.
McLaren's Lando Norris finished in second, finishing 19.4 seconds behind the winner, while rookie Oscar Piastri took third place to earn his first career F1 podium. The top five was rounded out by Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in fourth and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton in fifth. Thanks to an additional point for the fastest lap, Verstappen grew his lead over Sergio Perez to 177 points, potentially setting the stage to clinch the title at the Qatar Grand Prix between October 6-8.
The start of the race saw an intense three-way fight for the lead involving Verstappen, Piastri, and Norris, though Verstappen successfully defended his position through the initial turns. The Dutch driver described the opening moments as high-energy and risky, stating that it got very close, but that's just how racing works. He mentioned that he had a hard-fought battle into the first two corners and was lucky to find a bit more grip in the second turn to stay ahead.
It was a disastrous outing for Sergio Perez, who suffered a penalty for a collision with Haas driver Kevin Magnussen and eventually retired from the race. While the Mexican driver had strong showings in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan earlier in the spring, his form has dipped since. Meanwhile, Verstappen arrived in Japan eager to return to the top step of the podium after his record-breaking 10-race win streak ended in Singapore. He had completely dominated the practice sessions at Suzuka—a track where he previously won the title during a rain-affected race last year—and took full advantage of the perfect conditions on Sunday.
Verstappen solidified his lead during his first pit stop and remained unchallenged for the rest of the race. In the battle for second, Lando Norris managed to beat his McLaren teammate; although Norris started ahead of Piastri, he briefly lost the lead after the rookie pitted during a virtual safety car, but he later used his pace to reclaim the position.
\"The progress we've made is pretty outstanding. We’re coming for Red Bull,\" Norris commented. It was a milestone day for Piastri as well, who recently extended his contract with McLaren through the 2026 season.