Max Verstappen controlled the Japanese GP from start to finish on Sunday.
Image: AFP
McLaren missed out on a golden opportunity to put daylight between themselves and the rest of the grid, as defending champion Max Verstappen sliced through the noise and sent a reminder of why he might still be the man to beat.
Lando Norris (62 points) still holds a one-point advantage over second-placed Verstappen after the Dutch driver fought his way past the McLaren challenge from Norris and Oscar Piastri (49) to win his first race of the season and remain firmly in the hunt for his fifth consecutive title.
The Surrey-based team, however, still remain the fastest on pure pace, and they leave Suzuka with a sizeable lead (111) over Mercedes (75) in defence of their Constructors’ Championship. The top six drivers held firm, with all maintaining their positions from lights out to the chequered flag.
As the battle for the crown picks up speed, we unpack the three biggest takeaways from the Japanese Grand Prix.
In a race that lacked any real wheel-to-wheel action, the undercut not as effective, and overtaking opportunities few and far between, McLaren were guilty of going through the motions and failed to take the fight to pole-sitter Verstappen, despite having two cars in the Top 3.
There was just one position change in the Top 10, and McLaren will likely rue not getting the most out of their car in qualifying. That missed opportunity proved crucial, as the race was largely determined by grid position, with the front-runner able to control proceedings with relative ease.
The decision to pit Norris on lap 21 — immediately after Verstappen — was a baffling one, and it ruined any potential to gain ground. Emerging from the pits, Norris found himself stuck in the dirty air of the Red Bull, which severely hampered his car’s performance and left him unable to make significant progress or challenge for the win.
It was a decent day with decent points, but for a team looking to challenge for top honours, they will need to be far sharper across the rest of the season.
The Dutchman put in another clinical performance, winning his fourth race in a row at Suzuka — this time without having the fastest car on track. The 27-year-old has had to adapt to life without the clear machinery advantage he once enjoyed, but he continues to thrive under pressure and now finds himself within touching distance of championship leader Norris.
Further down the grid, Yuki Tsunoda is continuing to settle in at Red Bull. The Japanese driver was unable to reach Q3 and was due to start 15th, but was promoted to 14th after Carlos Sainz received a three-place grid penalty for impeding Lewis Hamilton in Q2.
Tsunoda completed the most laps in the RB21 since joining from the Racing Bulls, with Liam Lawson moving in the other direction. He will undoubtedly rue his Q2 mistake, which ultimately cost him his first points with his new team — despite recovering two places to finish 12th.
Red Bull will hope he can build on this foundation and develop a solid partnership with Verstappen as the season unfolds.
Mercedes, led by George Russell (45 points), have made a quietly solid start to the season and currently sit second in the Constructors’ standings — just 36 points behind leaders McLaren.
Rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli (30) has impressed with a mature start to his Formula 1 career. Although Mercedes do not yet have the car to consistently challenge on the front row, both drivers have maximised their opportunities, leaving the first three races with a healthy points haul.
They clearly have the edge over Ferrari, who endured another unremarkable weekend. Not only were they a touch off the pace in qualifying, but their race performance also fell short of the front-runners.
Unless Ferrari can unlock more from their package soon, they risk falling further behind in both championships.
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