Verstappen takes Japan by storm, leaving title behind but sentencing outlook

max verstappen Destroyed. He had no competition this year either. He returned to normalcy on the legendary circuit. Suzuki At the wheel of the Red Bull RB19, he easily defeated all his rivals. The Japanese Grand Prix was a perfect example of what this season has been like for the Dutchman, with a flawless run. Max won the McLaren double on the podium, with Norris second, 20 inches behind the Dutchman, and Piastri third., debuted on the F1 podium. Verstappen achieved the victory on points for fastest lap, and this, combined with the nightmare experienced by Perez, who withdrew, prompted the Mexican to scream a predictable ‘checkmate’. The two-time world champion has already set a date for his first option to be crowned again, while his victory cedes the Constructors’ World Championship title to Red Bull with six events remaining. . they are on another planet.

F1 2023 Japan GP Results

F1 World Cup 2023 Classification

There is a possibility that the opposing team will win the next Qatar GP (October 8th). The Dutchman needs three points in Losail to clinch the title. In other words, a win at Losail would be enough to claim the third title with five spots remaining. He could even clinch the title six races ahead in Saturday’s sprint race, a sign of his immense dominance as he showed this Sunday. Max was able to eat ramen, read manga, and play Mario Kart while driving in Suzuka. He barely struggled and won by 19 seconds.

Max only had to fend off Piastri first to avoid any problems. With all eyes on the Australian, Lando Norris tried to take the lead on the outside of Turn 1, but Max was strong and didn’t give in. From there, Verstappen was given 53 lap honors.

The following McLarens did not struggle, taking advantage of the second best car on the grid at Suzuka to celebrate a fine double on the podium. With Piastri stopping first, Norris came out from behind on fresher tires after his first pit stop. So the team was quick and clear to avoid risks. McLaren’s race wasn’t a battle between them, it was a battle with Mercedes, with the Australian passing his teammate to narrow down the rhythm. Behind George, Russell and Hamilton were agitated, colliding a number of times as George tried to overtake Lewis. “Who are we fighting against? Against us or against others?” Russell asked Hamilton, who was already suffering from considerable deterioration and was too aggressive. I asked before, surprised. Finally, this strategy won’t make your day any better either. George took a risk that got him to one stop and ended up paying the price. Leclerc, who started fourth, gave Hamilton no options, and Hamilton had to fight to hold off Carlos Sainz on the final lap.

Mercedes had to ask Russell to let the seven-time champion pass so as not to lose the battle with Carlos. George didn’t really like the idea, but he relented. And requested that Lewis provide DRS to protect himself from Carlos on young tires. However, the Madrid-born driver’s heart remained strong and he managed to settle for 6th place in the straight line. Now it was Hamilton’s turn to attack. He pushed it, but it took him a few turns to make more effort.. Sainz could have finished fourth in this GP, but he compromised by starting behind Charles, who had to give priority. But most of all he suffered damage from Ferrari’s poor strategic decisions.

At the second stop, after Lewis Hamilton pitted, Ferrari kept the Spaniard on track for too many turns instead of replicating the Briton’s strategy and covering the position. Perhaps they were waiting for the safety car to come out and looking for a surprise that didn’t come. In fact, by taking that risk he lost momentum with Leclerc and lost ground with Hamilton. He eventually overtook Russell, but his rubber advantage over Lewis was not enough and he had to settle for Russell. 6th place, which is not very well known.

Sainz loses battle to Hamilton over the wall

In the battle for fourth place with Mercedes, Charles defended himself from any attacks in the pits and stopped in front of Carlos. What was not understood was that the Italians kept Carlos on track for more laps than expected after Hamilton pitted to look for the Spaniard’s “undercut” in the second stint. This lap cost the Madrid man a lot of seconds and he had to continue his attack on new rubber on the final lap. It’s too risky. Perhaps Ferrari was looking for a surprise and tried to use the last ‘safety car’ with Carlos, who did not start. Sainz dropped two places with that strategy. He got it back for George, but couldn’t do the same for Hamilton.

Alonso got off to a great start but bad strategy

Fernando Alonso finished 8th But he could fight more than that. The driver from Asturias got off to a great start, going from 10th to 6th place. He responded well to the signals, choosing the inside line for the first turn and fishing the rough river while most of his opponents were massing to the outside. He passed Tsunoda and Russell, and then Hamilton and Perez as well, using his touch before turn one.

The Spaniard will be able to take advantage of the car’s better race pace compared to ‘qualifying’ and the management of the car’s tires to take on Ferrari and Mercedes. But the man from Oviedo says the premature stop resulted in his injury.

The Asturian was one of the few to take the risk of starting on soft rubber on a track with a lot of degradation. Therefore, instead of setting a more ambitious target, Aston Martin decided to stop Tsunoda on lap 11 to prevent a possible attack from him. In that second stint, his racing became a nightmare. Leclerc, who was on old rubber and hard tires with poor rhythm, easily overtook him and was unable to follow the Monaco rider who had passed Ocon. Fernando was stuck behind Esteban. top speed Despite having less rolling rubber, it’s enough to overtake the Alpine on the straights. That’s another weakness of his AMR23. From there Sainz and Hamilton passed him. “You stopped right there and threw me to the lion. It’s unbelievable.” Fernando said, frustrated by what he was going through.

That strategy condemned him. His team thought too conservatively and Fernando paid the price. But what really matters is the car’s performance. One lap later in qualifying, he was far away from his opponent and ended up starting too late. And there’s no more second-car advantage to overcome at the start of the year. Therefore, with no rain and a course that should not have been advantageous in any way, it was difficult to aim further.