He can still do it. And how he can do it. Max Verstappen shows all his sovereignty as he clinches his first title of the year at the Japanese Grand Prix: his 13th win of the season ahead of the fantastic young talents Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri from McLaren is not only a veritable compensation for the slip-up in Singapore, it secures it Red Bull Racing also won the constructors’ title for the sixth time, the second in a row. The recent embarrassment of his teammate Sergio Pérez, who damaged his car early and had to park it, also ensures that defending champion Verstappen can become champion for the third time in the sprint race at the next World Cup round in Qatar – he currently needs a lead of 177 points over Pérez just three more points for it.
When Verstappen kisses the winner’s trophy, the trophy, modeled on the airbox of a Formula 1 car, lights up in the Dutch colors. Sensors make this possible. Somehow variety has to be brought into the same old ceremonies. Kiss me, we are the champions. Of course, the Dominator still can’t get enough of it. “Now it’s just getting started,” he cheers into his helmet microphone after crossing the finish line, and then he’s all team captain: “You deserve this, you’re proud of yourself.”
Team boss Christian Horner credits him with an “absolutely fantastic job” and speaks of the “greatest year” in the racing team’s history.
At the start, Verstappen holds his own against the papaya-colored competition
The first ten seconds in particular are the ones that need to be survived in Suzuka. The slight gradient, the wind, the narrow slope – everything is crucial for a start. And that’s what’s particularly important here. Max Verstappen knows two other problem factors, the two papaya-colored McLarens. Rookie Oscar Piastri next to him, Lando Norris behind him. A lot of Formula 1 history has already been written in the first curve, Ayrton Senna torpedoed Alain Prost here. It’s a razor’s edge ride when three cars race towards the asphalt bend. Whoever flinches first loses the position, but whoever risks too much loses the race.
Max Verstappen, back in the form of his life, rushes forward with slightly spinning wheels as if the slip-up in Singapore had never happened. Piastri, not at all a coward, keeps up. The leader cuts him off from entering the corner. This frees up the lane for Norris on the outside. At the last moment, the world champion recognizes the danger, lets the Red Bull spin slightly to the left – and maintains his position. “Max is just Max,” Norris smiles afterwards.
Pérez’s driving is disastrous once again – his patience with the Mexican could soon be exhausted
As he sets out to fulfill a prophecy from Lewis Hamilton (“Max will be half a minute ahead of us on Sunday”), the field has to be neutralized. Because in the midfield they didn’t do that well with the evasive maneuvers, there were too many sharp carbon parts on the ideal line. One of those affected is Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Pérez, who once again doesn’t drive as expected from a World Cup runner-up. So he gets into the crash zone early, gets a new nose, makes a mistake when lining up behind the safety car, receives a five-second penalty and slips back to 13th place.
In the same car in which Verstappen is driving alone in the front, the Mexican even has a hard time getting past the Haas Ferrari – he promptly slides into Kevin Magnussen when trying to overtake. Same game: front wing ruined, five-second penalty. He doesn’t even start driving anymore and his car is pushed back into the garage. His future prospects at Red Bull Racing are in free fall despite a contract until the end of next season. New Zealand substitute Liam Lawson at sister team Alpha will be a substitute for both corporate racing teams next year. A swap could easily be arranged because at some point the patience of team boss and team advisor Helmut Marko will probably run out.
But out of the Red Bull garage again: Sergio Pérez had actually already finished the race, but returned to the track to serve his penalty.
(Photo: Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
Absolute humiliation then follows as the race enters its final stages. Pérez actually got out 25 laps ago, but has to get back into the cockpit – to serve the penalty, otherwise the seconds would be added to him in the next race. In the end, team boss Horner appears conciliatory, perhaps a little cynical: “Sergio also played his part in the success.”
Zoff at Mercedes: “Who do we actually want to race against here?”
In general, the two-way relationships this weekend: The generational duel at Mercedes continues unabated. This time it is George Russell who is putting pressure on Lewis Hamilton. But the record champion defends himself with all the routine and rigor. So much so that the race management observes the internal eliminations. Russell asks his command post a rhetorical question: “Who do we actually want to race against here? Against ourselves or against the others?”
Not everything is orange at McLaren either. Norris, who already saw himself as the sole title candidate of the future, is facing increasing competition from Piastri. The Australian had his contract extended early in Suzuka until 2026 and drove onto the front row of the grid for the first time with such exhilaration. Towards the middle of the race, Norris became faster and faster, complained about the rude defensive maneuvers of the man in front of him – and was waved past. In the end, despite violent protests, Mercedes does this with Russell and Hamilton in order to secure fifth place against Carlos Sainz’s onrushing Ferrari. But Max Verstappen spoke the strongest word of the day.