Japanese Grand Prix: Highlights

The Japanese Grand Prix saw Max Verstappen take home first place after not having been able to finish the Australian Grand Prix due to a brake fire.

Image from: https://www.automundo.com.br/magazine2/en/134327

Following behind was his teammate Sergio Perez, resulting in a Red Bull 1-2. Just behind were Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc in third and fourth, respectively. Leclerc’s fourth position comes after an unexpected one stop strategy that saw the Monegasque driver completing 27 laps on medium tires and finishing the race on a set of hard tires. Originally in third, Leclerc was eventually passed by Sainz on lap 46.

The race start proved to be a bit rocky after Daniel Ricciardo in the Visa Cash App RB and Alex Albon in the Williams made contact and crashed into the barriers resulting in a red flag on the first lap. Zhou Guanyu from the Stake F1 Team Kick Sauber was also forced to retire after experiencing a gearbox issue.

Image from: https://www.planetf1.com/news/daniel-ricciardo-alex-albon-collision-japanese-grand-prix-red-flag

Lando Norris brought home fifth place for McLaren after battling it out with both Ferrari’s, particularly with Charles Leclerc. Fernando Alonso finished in sixth place for Aston Martin who recently announced he resigned with the team through to 2026.

Mercedes driver George Russell managed to pass Oscar Piastri in the McLaren on the penultimate lap and took home seventh place. Fellow Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton, who finished in ninth, was struggling with the tire strategy and was at one point passed by his teammate Russell.

Image from: https://www.skysports.com/f1/news/12433/13109008/japanese-gp-lewis-hamilton-explains-why-he-let-mercedes-team-mate-george-russell-pass-him-at-suzuka

The next race weekend will take place in China at the Shanghai International Circuit.