@RedBullRacing seal sixth constructor’s title as @Max33Verstappen takes #JapaneseGP victory. #F1
Max Verstappen, #1, Oracle Red Bull Racing, Honda-RBPT, RB19, celebrating his 48th-career victory at the Formula 1 Lenovo Japanese Grand Prix 2023, Suzuka International Racing Course, Suzuka, Mie-Prefecture, Japan. Image credit to Clive Rose/Getty Images. Verstappen Japanese GP Victory, 2023 Japanese GP Results, F1 Japanese GP Results, Verstappen Red Bull Constructors, Japanese Grand Prix Results. 2023 Qatar GP Preview, F1 Qatar GP Preview, Qatar Grand Prix Preview.
Verstappen Japanese GP Victory – Championship leader Max Verstappen lead from start-to-finish to score a dominant 13th victory of the season at the Japanese GP, securing Red Bull their sixth World Constructor’s Championship as McLaren pairing Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri completed the podium.
The victory sees Verstappen on the verge of his third consecutive World Driver’s Championship title after his lead increased to 177 points over Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez who retired from the race on lap 15 but came out to serve the five-second time penalty following his collision with Haas F1 Team’s Kevin Magnussen at the Casio Hairpin before retiring again.
When the 53-lap Japanese GP began, pole-sitter Verstappen got the slight jump over the McLaren duo of Piastri and Norris into turn one with the former holding off Norris into turn two to keep the lead.
Behind the Dutchman, Norris found his way past his McLaren team-mate Piastri to take second place as Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz jumped up to fifth.
Further down the back, replays showed Alpine’s Esteban Ocon drift wide and sent Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas wide and he hit Williams Racing’s Alexander Albon quite heavily with debris scattered all over just before turn one bringing out the safety car.
Red Bull’s Perez & Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton also made contact with the former damaging his front wing.
Both Bottas and Perez came in to change their damaged front wings and emerged down in 18th and at the rear respectively.
When the race went back to green on lap five, Verstappen made a solid getaway and run down the main-straight into turn one.
Mercedes George Russell was tucked behind his damage inflicted F1 W14 entry team-mate of Lewis Hamilton and made his way ahead of his fellow British-compatriot on the inside into the Casio Triangle chicane, but Hamilton countered his team-mate and passed Russell around the outside into turn one to reclaim seventh place.
At the beginning of lap six, Verstappen held a 1.763 gap over Norris with Piastri third, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc fourth and Sainz rounding out the top five.
Further down the field, Williams Racing’s Logan Sargeant suffered a lock-up into the hairpin sending Bottas into a spin with both drivers returning to the pits for a second time as the latter pitted to retire early.
On lap 10, Verstappen’s lead increased to 3.028 seconds over Norris with Piastri holding third, Leclerc fourth and Sainz completing the top five.
Perez and Sargeant both received five-second timed penalties for a safety car infringement and causing a collision respectively.
On lap 12, Alonso pitted from sixth place for a fresh set of hards and emerged in 14th place behind Albon.
Perez suffered a lock-up into the Casio Hairpin and went front-on into Magnussen sending the Dane into a spin scattering debris as both drivers came into pit.
The 14th tour saw the virtual safety deployed to clear debris as Piastri took the opportunity to take a free pit-stop for a fresh set of hards to undercut the Ferrari’s and came out in ninth.
The virtual safety car ended early on lap 14 with Verstappen and Norris rounding turn 13.
Perez was forced to retire on lap 15 due to an undriveable car being the second casualty of the Grand Prix.
On the 17th tour, race leader Verstappen pitted to switch the mediums for hards and came out in fifth place ahead of Piastri whilst Hamilton also put on a fresh set of hards and emerged in 10th place behind Alonso.
On lap 18, Norris pitted from the lead along with Leclerc for a set of hards and mediums respectively with the former coming out in seventh and the latter in ninth.
Sainz followed suit from P1 and stopped on lap 19th, also for a fresh set of mediums to emerge in eighth place as Leclerc overtook Alonso for sixth into turn one as the Singapore GP winner came out of the pits.
Verstappen made is way back into the lead passing Russell on the rundown into Spoon Corner with Leclerc doing the same to Ocon to take fifth place.
On the 20th tour, Verstappen was 1.124 seconds clear of the yet-to-pit Russell with the two McLaren’s of Piastri and Norris third and fourth respectively as Leclerc rounded out the top five.
Sainz was tucked right behind Alonso in the battle for seventh and got ahead of his fellow Spanish compatriot to take the position on the run into Spoon corner and at the beginning of lap 21, the former breezed his way ahead of Ocon to take sixth place on the main-straight.
Hamilton followed suit passing his former McLaren team-mate Alonso down the inside into the fast 130R to take eighth and then passed Ocon on the inside into turn one to grab seventh place.
On lap 25, Verstappen’s gap increased to 10.924 seconds over Piastri with Norris third, Leclerc in fourth as Sainz rounded out the top five.
Russell came in from second and came out in ninth behind Alonso for a fresh set of the C1 harder compounds.
Russell made short work of Alonso to take eighth as the battle of the two McLaren’s for second place intensified.
Lap 27 saw Piastri and Norris swap positions to cover the charging Mercedes of Russell whilst Albon was called into retire the car.
A tour later, Verstappen’s gap up was 12.909 seconds over Norris with Piastri taking third, Leclerc in fourth as Sainz completed the top five.
Lap 29, saw Alonso make a lunge up the inside of AlphaTauri’s home favourite Yuki Tsunoda at the Casio Hairpin and went side-by-side of the Japanese driver heading towards Spoon corner and passed the AT04 to take ninth place.
With 20 laps remaining, Verstappen’s lead increased over second-placed Norris to 14.666 seconds as Piastri was a further 5.042 adrift of his McLaren team-mate holding third as the two Ferrari’s of Leclerc and Sainz were fourth and fifth respectively.
On lap 35, Leclerc made his second stop of the race for a fresh set of hards with Hamilton stopping also for a set of the white-branded hards and came out in sixth and seventh respectively.
A lap later, McLaren reacted from third place to pit Piastri and the Australian came out in-front of sixth place Leclerc.
The next tour saw Norris make his final stop for a fresh set of hards and emerged in fourth place behind Russell.
On lap 38, Verstappen pitted from the lead to also take on a fresh set of the C1 Pirelli hards and came out 28.240 seconds ahead of the yet-to-pit for the second time Sainz.
The 39th tour saw Sainz pit to take on a set of the harder compounds and emerged in eighth place behind Hamilton as Norris overtook Russell for second place.
With 13 laps left, Verstappen’s lead was 15.540 seconds over Norris with Russell third, Piastri close behind the Mercedes in fourth as Leclerc completed the top five.
On lap 42, in the fight for third place, a thrilling side-by-side battle beforehand between Russell and Piastri into the Casio Triangle Chicane, which Russell managed to keep the Australian behind until Piastri got into the slipstream of Russell on the main-straight and passed the Mercedes around the outside into turn one after.
With ten tours remaining, race leader Verstappen was 16.351 seconds ahead of Norris with Piastri in third as Russell and Leclerc’s battle for fourth intensified with the Ferrari right behind the Mercedes.
Leclerc also found his way into the slipstream of Russell with DRS assistance down the main-straight and went around the outside of the F1 W14 into the first corner and overtook the Briton for fourth place.
On lap 48, the battle for fifth place saw Russell, Hamilton and Sainz all close to each other with Hamilton responding: “We’re both going to lose these positions.”
A tour later Hamilton jumped on the side of team-mate Russell to take fifth place leaving the latter with the fresher tyred-Ferrari of Sainz right on the Briton’s tail.
Sainz with DRS assistance overtook Russell down the main-straight easily to take fifth place.
Verstappen crossed the line to claim the Japanese GP victory and clinch Red Bull’s sixth Constructor’s Championship crown, finishing 19.387 seconds clear of Norris as Piastri secured the final podium place.
Ferrari pairing Leclerc and Sainz came home in fourth and sixth respectively as Mercedes duo Hamilton and Russell took fifth and seventh places in the classification.
Aston Martin’s Alonso settled for eighth in-front of Alpine pairing Ocon and Pierre Gasly who rounded out the top ten.
AlphaTauri duo Liam Lawson and home favourite Yuki Tsunoda finished in 11th and 12th respectively as Haas duo Hulkenberg and Magnussen placed 13th and 14th and were the last of the runners.
2023 Japanese GP – The Top Three
2023 Japanese GP Winner – Max Verstappen, #1, Oracle Red Bull Racing, Honda-RBPT, RB19:
“Unbelievable weekend and to win here was great, the car was working well on every compound. But the most important was to win the constructors’ so well done to everyone back at the factory. We are having an incredible year!”
2nd Place – Lando Norris, #4, McLaren Formula 1 Team-Mercedes, MCL60, +19.387:
“Another amazing day for us, P2 and P3 – couldn’t ask for anymore. My start was very good, I almost got Max, but Max was Max, he was away in Turn 2. We weren’t close to Max, but we weren’t miles away either. I’m very proud of the team and the steps we are making.”
3rd Place – Oscar Piastri, #81, McLaren Formula 1 Team-Mercedes, MCL60, +36.494:
“It feels pretty special, definitely. I’ll remember it for a long time. I can’t thank the team enough for this opportunity, it wasn’t my best race ever, but it was enough to get a trophy. The move on George, I knew I had to get past, or I’d get stuck – and that one was a bit close. Excited to try and get some more!”
Christian Horner, Oracle Red Bull Racing Team Principal on their race, Constructor’s Championship victory and the year so far:
“It’s been the most amazing race for us, the most amazing year and it’s testament to these guys and the guys and girls back in Milton Keynes. And of course, Max is just on another level at the moment. [Checo] went through a few front wings out there, it wasn’t his day, but he’ll bounce back at the next race, he’s a big part of this success as well. It’s very fitting to win this championship here, in front of Honda.”
Formula 1 Lenovo Japanese Grand Prix 2023 Race Results Classification (53 Laps)
| POS | NO | DRIVER | CAR | LAPS | TIME/RETIRED | PTS |
| 1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT | 53 | 1:30:58.421 | 26 |
| 2 | 4 | Lando Norris | MCLAREN MERCEDES | 53 | +19.387s | 18 |
| 3 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | MCLAREN MERCEDES | 53 | +36.494s | 15 |
| 4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | FERRARI | 53 | +43.998s | 12 |
| 5 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | MERCEDES | 53 | +49.376s | 10 |
| 6 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | FERRARI | 53 | +50.221s | 8 |
| 7 | 63 | George Russell | MERCEDES | 53 | +57.659s | 6 |
| 8 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES | 53 | +74.725s | 4 |
| 9 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | ALPINE RENAULT | 53 | +79.678s | 2 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | ALPINE RENAULT | 53 | +83.155s | 1 |
| 11 | 40 | Liam Lawson | ALPHATAURI HONDA RBPT | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 12 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | ALPHATAURI HONDA RBPT | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | ALFA ROMEO FERRARI | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | HAAS FERRARI | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | HAAS FERRARI | 52 | +1 lap | 0 |
| NC | 23 | Alexander Albon | WILLIAMS MERCEDES | 26 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 2 | Logan Sargeant | WILLIAMS MERCEDES | 22 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Lance Stroll | ASTON MARTIN ARAMCO MERCEDES | 20 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 11 | Sergio Perez | RED BULL RACING HONDA RBPT | 15 | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | ALFA ROMEO FERRARI | 7 | DNF | 0 |
* Provisional results. Note – Verstappen scored an additional point for setting the fastest lap of the race.
https://www.formula1.com/en/results.html/2023/races/1220/japan/race-result.html
Round 18 of the 2023 FIA Formula One World Championship returns to the Lusail International Circuit in Doha, Qatar for the Formula 1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix 2023 from Friday October 6-Sunday October 8.
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