US Edition
Verstappen wins Japanese Grand Prix with masterful drive as Norris holds off Piastri for second
Key moments
The commonly held view is that Lando Norris lost out to Max Verstappen in the drivers’ championship last year because the Red Bull driver benefited from a massively superior car at the start of the season, built up an enormous points lead, and McLaren then had to take all the risks in trying to eat into it. At least, that argument was used partly to explain why McLaren kept making mistakes.
Well, the championships have been reset now. It is McLaren who have the fastest car at the start of the year. And yet a similar pattern is emerging.
Verstappen won the Japanese Grand Prix through his own brilliance, no arguments there. His “magical” final lap in qualifying on Saturday – so good even Fernando Alonso was cooing about it afterwards, saying the Dutchman was “the only driver” in the sport capable of outperforming his car to such a degree – gave him the platform. And he made zero mistakes in the race.
Verstappen got off to a good start, keeping the McLarens at bay in the first stint. He correctly ignored McLaren’s ‘dummy call’ when the Woking team suggested over the radio that they might bring Norris in for an earlier-than-expected pitstop. He held firm when Norris tried to squeeze past him when they did make their one stop.
And he then drove “flat to to finish” in the words of team principal Christian Horner, who compared his driver afterwards to Mr Motivator. “Max has been absolutely outstanding this weekend,” Horner said. “The hard work was done yesterday but he was inch perfect in the race.
“Max drove the wheels off the car. We worked hard to give him a car he was able to extract the most out of. He is like Mr Motivator for us.”
And yet. As brilliant as Verstappen was in Suzuka there is the lingering feeling that McLaren ought really to have had a one-two in Japan. They ought to have had a one-two in Australia, too (where Piastri spun and finished ninth). They ought to have had a one-two in the sprint race in China.
Somehow, small mistakes – driver errors, strategic errors, setup choices – have allowed Verstappen to move to just one point behind Norris in the drivers’ championship.
What could they have done differently in Suzuka? Without the pace to overtake Verstappen on track, their only option was to try something with strategy but they decided against doing that, much to the disgust of Jacques Villeneuve. The 1997 champion, on punditry duty for Sky Sports, was aghast at their lack of ambition, asking why they brought Norris in one lap after his team mate Oscar Piastri rather than trying to offset their strategies. “Why not take a gamble, you have two drivers out there?” he demanded. “It’s like they’re trying not to win.”
Damon Hill, too, raised a quizzical eyebrow on X afterwards. “Interesting comments on McLaren’s strategy. Too predictable? Too defensive? To conservative? Not adventurous enough? Anything else?”
The truth is it may not have made much of a difference anyway. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli tried something different from teammate George Russell, staying out far longer on the mediums in his first stint, before switching to hards. He ended up exactly where he started, in sixth place.
In fact, the top six drivers all finished exactly where they started for the first time ever at a permanent circuit, rather than a street circuit such as Monaco (As Piastri was heard to comment in the green room afterwards when the edited action was replayed: “Is that all the highlights?!”) But they probably should have tried something anyway. McLaren have shown how quick they are in clean air, and yet they chose to remain in dirty air behind Verstappen for the entire race.
“Maybe we could have tried a bit more with strategy and overcut or undercut,” Norris conceded. “We just boxed on the same lap for some reason, so there are some things we’ll discuss. Hindsight is a wonderful thing. I probably should have just tried to undercut. The thing is there’s always the safety car risk.
“I don’t think I could have gone longer because then I think I would have lost a position, so that wasn’t on the cards. But yeah, I think we probably should have just tried to undercut and tried something different.”
The bigger error, as Norris acknowledged, was not taking pole in the first place. “The race was won yesterday in hindsight,” he said.”I think our pace was probably slightly better, but not enough to get through the dirty air, get into the DRS, and then passing is a whole other story because it’s pretty much impossible to pass here.”
Piastri briefly looked as if he might have a dig at Norris for second place, suggesting over the radio that he had the pace to catch Verstappen out in front. But that may have been for show. And Norris was presumably saving his tyres a bit anyway. In the end Lewis Hamilton was the only driver in the top 10 to make any ground all, passing Isack Hadjar early on and keeping seventh place, which he wasn’t particularly happy with.
Poor finish for Tsunoda on Red Bull debut
Further back, Britain’s Ollie Bearman finished a creditable 10th in his Haas, while Yuki Tsunoda was a disappointing 12th on his Red Bull debut. Again, though, it all came down to qualifying at a track where it was virtually impossible to pass with the cars so closely matched and with the tyres not degrading.
Verstappen was simply supreme. Never mind Mr Motivator, he is like the Terminator. Relentless. If a podium is the best he can do, he will get it. If a win is on the cards, as it was here, he gets it. The bookies still have him as third favourite for the title, behind the two McLaren’s, at 5-1. And that is probably right.
Other tracks will allow McLaren to showcase their superiority more. But as McLaren showed last year, things can change fast. Who knows what effect the FIA’s clampdown on flexi-wings may have when it is introduced in May? One thing seems pretty certain,Verstappen will make the most of it.
Verstappen vs Norris pitlane drama
What happened
After 21 laps playing follow-my-leader, Verstappen (P1) and Norris (P2) pit at the same time. Heading into the stop, Norris’s deficit is 1.4sec but McLaren do a better job of changing his tyres, with their stop timed at 2.3sec compared with Red Bull’s 3.3sec. The net result is that the two drivers emerge almost side-by-side, with Norris fractionally behind Verstappen as they exit the pit-lane. Without the space for two cars side by side, Norris is forced to go over the grass verge on the right-hand side of the pit-lane exit. The stewards review the incident and decide not to take it any further.
What they said
As is customary, both drivers did their best to influence the stewards in-race. “He forced me off,” Norris told his pitwall. “OK we’re on it,” his engineer Will Joseph responded. Verstappen, meanwhile, had a different interpretation. “He drove himself into the grass,” he said. “Yeah, we know the game. As you are” responded Gianpiero Lambiase. Later, the two friends laughed about it in the green room while watching a replay ahead of the podium presentations. “That’s quite an expensive lawnmower,” quipped the Red Bull driver. Norris did not seem too cut up about it. “I never expected to come out ahead of him,” he confessed later. “He had the right of line, he had the space, he had the position. I wanted to give myself that chance but I didn’t expect him to give me any room and he didn’t have to give me any room. Nothing to complain about. Some nice racing and a bit of action for the TV.” Verstappen agreed. “Yeah, that’s racing,” he said. “We’re not here to hand out presents.”
Verdict
It speaks volumes about the excitement levels of the race that this was the biggest incident. The truth is there was nothing in it. What was Norris meant to do? He might have backed off to save his tyres, which picked up grass (and potentially might have picked up worse). But knowing this might be his best opportunity all race to pass his rival, he hung in there. Perhaps he might have got a better launch, or found better traction on the right, or spooked Verstappen. Who knows? In the end, Verstappen stuck to his guns and his line, and Norris had to back off. The stewards were right not to take it any further.
Final positions after race (53 laps)
- Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1h 22m 06.983s
- Lando Norris (Gbr) McLaren at 1.423
- Oscar Piastri (Aus) McLaren at 2.129
- Charles Leclerc (Mon) Ferrari at 16.097
- George Russell (Gbr) Mercedes GP at 17.362
- Kimi Antonelli (Ita) Mercedes GP at 18.671
- Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Ferrari at 29.182
- Isack Hadjar (Fra) RB at 37.134
- Alexander Albon (Tha) Williams at 40.367
- Oliver Bearman (Gbr) Haas F1 at 54.529
- Fernando Alonso (Spa) Aston Martin at 57.333
- Yuki Tsunoda (Jpn) Red Bull at 58.401
- Pierre Gasly (Fra) Alpine at 1m 02.122
- Carlos Sainz Jr (Spa) Williams at 1:14.129
- Jack Doohan (Aus) Alpine at 1:21.314
- Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Kick Sauber at 1:21.957
- Liam Lawson (Nzl) RB at 1:22.734
- Esteban Ocon (Fra) Haas F1 at 1:23.438
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Bra) Kick Sauber at 1:23.897
- Lance Stroll (Can) Aston Martin at 1 lap
The thoughts of Yuki Tsunoda, who finished 12th at his home race
“I am happy with my performance but I wanted to finish in the points. I was expecting more in my home Grand Prix so it is a mixed feeling.
“I am learning and gaining confidence in the car. I felt controlled. I am happy considering the amount of time I had in the car.”
Christian Horner speaking to Sky Sports
“Max [Verstappen] has been absolutely outstanding this weekend. The hard work was done yesterday but he was inch perfect in the race.
“McLaren were quick but we were able to be that bit quicker to hold them off and keep them behind.
“Max drove the wheels off the car. We worked hard to give him a car he was able to extract the most out of. He is like Mr Motivator for us.”
Verstappen wins the Japanese Grand Prix
He sealed pole with a stunning lap in qualifying yesterday and wins at Suzuka yet again! Norris comes home just behind in second and his teammate Piastri third. McLaren will be disappointed they have not won this race and may regret some tactical decisions around the pit stops.
Lap 47 of 53
Norris is trying to get within DRS range of Verstappen but is just outside the second he needs. Piastri has DRS behind Norris and there is under two seconds between the top three with just over five laps to go.
Lap 31 of 53
Just as Verstappen comes up to the back of him, Hamilton locks up into the final chicane and he now ditches the hard tyre to put on a set of mediums. Verstappen is up into second but Antonelli is still out there in the lead on the mediums he started on.
Lap 28 of 53
The top five (with gaps):
- Antonelli
- Hamilton +3.968
- Verstappen +2.986
- Norris +2.088
- Piastri +1.908
Antonelli (mediums) and Hamilton (hards) are yet to pit. Antonelli is the youngest driver to lead an F1 race.
Lap 22 of 53
Red Bull bring in Verstappen, McLaren pit Norris and Ferrari bring in Leclerc. Norris’ stop is faster and they are side-by-side as they come out of the pits. Verstappen forces Norris onto the grass and keeps hold of the lead. Norris is straight onto the team radio to complain about Verstappen.
Lap 20 of 53
Norris is told by Will Joseph that his pace is really strong and is within one and a half seconds of Verstappen, who is told he can push. Mercedes have decided behind to pit Russell, who goes onto the hard tyres. He comes back out in 13th, behind home favourite Tsunoda.
Lap 16 of 53
The top five (with gaps):
- Verstappen
- Norris +2.145
- Piastri +1.164
- Leclerc +2.516
- Russell +1.436
When will see the frontrunners pit? Who will be the first to jump? With McLaren having two dogs in the fight at the front they can force Red Bull’s hand. Much further back Alpine have brought Doohan in, replacing the softs with a set of hards.
Lap 10 of 53
Norris has just been told there could rain on lap 20, which would last just one lap and would be light. He has been told by his race engineer Will Joseph that it would not change their plans or strategy. Norris is just over two seconds behind leader Verstappen.
We have the first stop of the race as Aston Martin bring in Stroll to get rid of the softs and put on a set of hard tyres.
Lap 2 of 53
The drivers do need to be a little careful of some of the damper patches, including a small puddle down the main straight not long before the braking zone into turn one. They do not break particularly hard into the first corner but still something to watch out for. That was a very calm start, with everyone behaving themselves and no incidents to speak of.
Antonelli has just gone deep into the final chicane but did not lose a place. He started sixth and is still sixth
Formation lap
All 20 drivers are making their way around on the formation lap. The racing line is every so slightly drier. Most of the grid is starting on medium tyres. The only man in the top ten not on mediums is Hamilton in eighth on a set of hards. The last four drivers are on a mix of hards and softs.
At the end of the formation lap both Verstappen and Norris are pointing towards each other.
Track conditions
Both George Russell and Oscar Piastri have been speaking to Sky Sports in the last few minutes and neither are fazed by the track conditions. They have said there is a bit of dampness but not too much and all will be starting on slick tyres. The first sector could be a little slippery as it has been newly relaid. Will those starting on the racing line (odd numbers) get a bit of an advantage over those on the even side of the grid? We will have to wait and see. There is a small risk of rain during the race.
Home favourite Yuki Tsunoda, who starts 14th
“I am feeling ready. Yesterday was yesterday, today is today. Different conditions. Rain will be new as well but I am excited.
“I did not expect to progress as fast as I have so there are positives. I am still learning, there are lots of ups and downs but I feel there is potential.
“I am just disappointed I was not able to put it all together when it mattered.”
Max Verstappen speaking ahead of the race
“I am excited for the day ahead and hopefully we can have a great result. A win would mean a lot, but we have to stay realistic.
“It is going to be a tough fight to try to stay in the lead but we will try our best. Just try and do our own race, really try to use the strengths of the car and see how far we can get.”
Lando Norris speaking to Sky Sports
“At the minute it is looking a bit drier. I think it is still meant to rain a little bit. If it is anything like the Australian Grand Prix, I am sure the fans and everyone watching will love it. Of course, stressful for us inside the car, but I am excited for today.
“Max [Verstappen] did a very good job yesterday, so hats off to him. When you watch the on-board, the rear does not move one time, but they do look like they suffer with an understeer, so I am hoping that comes into our favour a little bit today, especially in the cooler conditions.
“We know our race pace is strong. Maybe we sacrificed a bit too much of our qualifying pace for our race pace today, but we will see.”
Norris vs Piastri another McLaren battle royal that could end in tears
Norris leads the drivers’ championship on 44 points, with Piastri fourth, 10 points behind the Briton. But that is largely down to the fact that Piastri spun during the rain-affected Australian race, finishing ninth as Norris won.
Until that spin – which of course he ultimately has to take the blame for – the Australian had looked to be a threat to Norris, even being instructed to hold position at one point after he closed.
In China, Piastri was clearly the more comfortable of the two McLaren drivers, finishing second in the sprint and winning the feature race.
For more from our senior sports correspondent Tom Cary, click here.
Bernie Collins: I felt like a fraud when I moved from pit wall to punditry
For more than a decade, Bernie Collins accrued a wealth of experience at the highest level of Formula One. In 2014 she was performance engineer to 2009 world champion Jenson Button at McLaren before eventually becoming Aston Martin’s head of race strategy.
Her most glorious moment in F1 was the chaotic Sakhir Grand Prix in 2020 when Sergio Pérez went from last on the first lap to take a memorable maiden victory for both himself and Racing Point. Yet when Collins moved from the pit wall to in front of the camera two years ago, becoming an on-screen analyst for Sky Sports F1, the transition was an uneasy one.
“For a long time, I felt like I was a bit of a fraud, not doing enough work on the pit wall. I felt a bit like I wasn’t contributing as much to the sport. Before, the decisions I made directly affected the outcome of the race,” she says.
Luke Slater has sat down for an interview with Sky Sports’ Bernie Collins.
Russell: I always looked up to Lewis Hamilton – it’s surreal being the older driver now
9am
The first thing I do is jump in cold water. I live on the coast in Monaco so I’ll go down in the lift from my flat and get straight in the sea, or into the ice bath at home. I have to pinch myself that I live here. I left school young so my friends are from the racing world, as well as athletes like tennis players and cyclists, who live here, too. To be in the top 20 of any sport requires huge discipline and sacrifice, so it’s good to have like-minded people around you.
In our weekly My Saturday column, celebrities reveal their weekend virtues and vices. This week it is George Russell, who starts fifth today.
Who will be victorious in Suzuka?
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen starts on pole for today’s Japanese Grand Prix after a stunning lap at the death in qualifying yesterday. The four-time world champion produced a brilliant performance at the end of Q3 to keep the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri off pole position as he secured his fourth consecutive pole at Suzuka. Not even half a tenth covered the top three with Norris starting on the front row alongside Verstappen with Piastri in third. Verstappen was delighted with his pole lap but knows it will be tough to beat the McLarens today.
“We tried the best we could to get the best possible balance. It was not easy but every session we had little improvements. That made the difference. The last lap was just flat out and it is incredibly rewarding.”
“I was fully committed on the final lap. At points, not sure if I was going to keep it (on the track). If you look at how our season started, even this weekend, it is very unexpected and that makes it a very special one.
“It will be very hard [to win], but that is fine. I will try to do my best. So far this season we have not been able to fight them. But it is not like we just sit there and accept it. We try to do the very best and we will give it a good fight tomorrow if we can. But at the end of the day, it is a very long championship and you need to keep on scoring points whenever you can in the best way possible. At least we are starting from the front - then we will see where we go.”
Norris, who leads the drivers standings by eight points ahead of polesitter Verstappen, is looking forward to today’s race.
“I am excited with a battle with Max. We had plenty of them last year, looking forward to some more tomorrow [today],” Norris said. “I do not know what the weather will do, which is the big question honestly. It could be a bit like Melbourne which was an exciting race for you guys, tough and nerve-wracking for us.”
Charles Leclerc will start fourth for Ferrari and Mercedes’ George Russell is fifth. Home favourite Yuki Tsunoda, who has been promoted from RB to the senior Red Bull team since the Chinese Grand Prix, was knocked out in Q2 and will start from 14th at his home race. Ironically, the man who Tsunoda has replaced at Red Bull, Liam Lawson, starts one place higher. Williams’ Carlos Sainz has received a three-place grid penalty after qualifying for blocking Lewis Hamilton, who starts eighth today, in the second part of qualifying.
The race from Suzuka gets under way at 6am.