Max Verstappen just reminded everyone why Suzuka is his playground.
The Red Bull driver took home his fourth straight win at the Japanese Grand Prix, holding off the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. It wasn’t just another smooth ride, though – this one had drama, tight calls, and a cheeky pit exit battle.
Verstappen started from pole and managed to keep a steady gap early on. But things got spicy during the pit stops. A slightly slow stop from Red Bull gave Norris a chance to challenge Max at the pit exit. The two went wheel-to-wheel, with Norris even kicking up some grass, but Verstappen kept the lead. Both drivers weren’t thrilled about the move and voiced their frustrations over the radio, but stewards waved it off without an investigation.
Norris kept Verstappen honest for most of the race, and in the final laps, Piastri started breathing down his teammate’s neck. The Aussie had the pace, even telling his engineer he could take the fight to Max. But Norris found another gear and held him off to secure second place, with Piastri settling for third on his birthday.
Further down, Charles Leclerc came in fourth, while Mercedes drivers George Russell and rookie Kimi Antonelli rounded out the top six. Antonelli even led the race briefly during the pit shuffle – not bad for a guy who’s barely out of his teens.
Lewis Hamilton took P7, while rookies Isack Hadjar and Ollie Bearman both scored points, finishing eighth and tenth respectively. Albon grabbed P9 for Williams, and Fernando Alonso finally finished a race this season, even if it was just outside the points.
Yuki Tsunoda’s Red Bull debut in front of a home crowd didn’t go as planned. He finished 12th but still got Driver of the Day honors, probably more for fan love than on-track fireworks. The rest of the field had a pretty quiet day, with Alpine, Haas, and Kick Sauber all failing to crack the top ten.
This win puts Verstappen just one point behind Norris in the championship standings, and with the next race in Bahrain just days away, things are heating up fast. Verstappen called the win “tough” but fun, especially with the McLarens keeping the pressure high all race long.
No rain, no crashes, but plenty of tension – exactly how a Suzuka showdown should go.
Next up: Bahrain, where we’ll see if McLaren can finally turn the tables or if Max Verstappen keeps stacking trophies.
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