The last two years have returned to normalcy in Formula 1. After leaving Australia, Max Verstappen Arrived at Suzuki with the idea of regaining the authority that has been shown so much in recent months. All said and done, the Dutchman showed no mercy at any point during the weekend and He dominated the race from start to finish without any problems. A tremendous mode returned that gave no option and allowed him to win for the third time in a row in Japan and take his third victory in four races.. Pérez completed the double for Red Bull at Honda’s house. It’s impossible to think of a better scenario for those from Milton Keynes
Carlos Sainz shines again with Ferrari and adds another podium. The Spaniard climbed into the box after a final stop that forced him to overtake many rivals, including his team-mate Leclerc, but he once again squeezed his SF-24 with authority and left no option to add the third podium in three races. In its part, Fernando Alonso He had to defend himself again against better cars but held off Piastri like a wild boar to finish in sixth place.
The departure was messy due to accident between Daniel Ricciardo and Alexander Albon. The Thai tried to take the outside before turn 3 but the Australian, focused on gaining positions at the front, by regaining the line before a fast corner left him with no space. They collided and both landed on the protective tire. The stewards raised the red flag and the start had to be repeated.
As for the rest, everyone kept their positions. Alonso tried to gain positions with the new soft tire They had nothing left but Norris covered the little gap that was available. With the red flag, Mercedes chose to use hard rubber and surprise those at the top of the strategy. Sainz put on half a new tire.
At the new start, there were also no changes in position and Verstappen set the tone with Pérez close behind him. The Dutchman tried to leave the Mexican outside the DRS zone but Checo continued. Behind Russell regained ninth position against Tsunoda.
The two Ferraris were behind the McLarens in the first stint. Sainz is putting pressure on Norris for third place while Leclerc is putting pressure on Piastri for sixth place. These two were placed behind Alonso who made a block due to the high wear of the soft rubber. Lando was the first to go in on lap 12 to remove the mediums and put on the hard rubber. The next lap his partner entered. The Ferrari stayed on track and Alonso went off the soft rubber on the next lap but the traffic helped him and he didn’t lose a position with respect to Piastri.
in the back, On lap 14 Hamilton let Russell pass due to team orders despite having the same approach to hard rubber. They are fifth and sixth at the moment. Pérez entered on lap 16, the same as Sainz. Ahead of the two was Norris who entered first and a lap later the Briton overtook Hamilton. Verstappen stopped at 17 and Leclerc had the longest grip on the rubber and was the virtual leader.
Mercedes and Leclerc’s game are suffering
Degradation in the race was very high and Mercedes lost positions lap after lap with drivers making the first tire change. “Change strategy!”Hamilton yelled into the radio. On lap 23 Russell came in and the next he did the same. They put themselves in eighth and ninth positions with new tires. While Leclerc endured Pérez’s attacks without even entering the pits until he went wide after the ice on lap 26.
On lap 27 itself The Monegasque came in but Lando Norris also made the second stop. A decision by McLaren that is surprising because they gave the position in this way to Leclerc. The Ferrari driver did not stop again and took the position from him which was all about strategy. They started Russell in the middle of the two but Lando easily overtook him a lap later. They were sixth and seventh in the absence of all the previous ones having to make a second stop.
A little further behind Piastri, the ‘undercat’ threw Alonso on lap 33. But in Aston Martin reacted in time and passed the Spaniard on the next lap and maintained the position. Pérez also went through the pits and stayed behind Leclerc and Norris with fresher rubber. In just two laps the Mexican had passed both with impressive ease.
Sainz, forced to advance
Sainz took the longest pit stop. He did so in 36th to install the hard rubber and finished seventh behind the Mercedes. However, on the next lap he passed Hamilton on the straight and Russell went through the pits. That’s when he started chasing Leclerc and Norris to get back on the podium.
On lap 42 Sainz was stuck to the rear wing of the McLaren. Lando overbraked at the hairpin and the Spaniard took advantage of this to get away and a few seconds later the Spaniard used DRS to pass the Briton at the finish line. Final hurdle: Charles Leclerc two seconds away.
Ferrari warned the Monegasque over the radio that they did not want fights between them and that they should not give time. “The race is Norris’s,” they warned him. On lap 46, the Spaniard Sainz used DRS again and took the podium position. The Red Bulls are in a different league. Leclerc finished fourth with a good approach while Norris closed out the TOP5.
From the back, the final laps were also upset. Piastri was unable to overtake Alonso in the race to finish sixth. The Asturian showed off again, taking his elbows with Aston Martin. He held off the Australian as Russell overtook them with three laps to go. The Briton threw his McLaren car into the chicane and they held on without consequence.
Alonso remained in sixth position until the finish line but Piastri made a mistake on the last lap that Russell took advantage of to grab seventh position to finally pass the finish line. A cautious Lewis Hamilton finished in ninth position.
Yuki Tsunoda, The local idol staged a great comeback by overtaking in the first sector of fast corners that sent Japanese fans into a frenzy of excitement. The reward came in the form of a point by closing the TOP10 in RB.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Rose Herman and I work as an author for Today Times Live. My expertise lies in writing about sports, a passion of mine that has been with me since childhood. As part of my job, I provide comprehensive coverage on everything from football to tennis to golf.
