Triple world champion Max Verstappen yesterday romped to victory at the Japanese Grand Prix, leading teammate Sergio Perez to a dominant one-two finish for Red Bull.
Verstappen failed to finish in Australia a fortnight ago, but he was in control for the entire race at Suzuka after starting from pole and claimed his third win from four grands prix this season.
The Dutchman finished 12.535 seconds ahead of Perez, who came home in front of Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz in dry, sunny conditions.
Photo: EPA-EFE Warning: Excessive consumption of alcohol can damage your health
“The critical bit was the start, to stay ahead,” Verstappen said. “After that, the car just got better and better... Everything just went very well. It couldn’t have been any better.”
Sainz, who triumphed in Australia, took third ahead of Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, who started from eighth on the grid.
McLaren’s Lando Norris, second in last year’s race, was fifth ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.
Mercedes’ George Russell edged out McLaren’s Oscar Piastri for seventh, while Lewis Hamilton was ninth in the other Mercedes.
Verstappen was starting from pole for the fourth time in as many races this season and stamped his authority on the race from the off, leading Perez to the first turn.
He said this week that Suzuka was one of his favorite circuits and he has now won the Japanese Grand Prix three times in a row.
He was back to his breathtaking best after a brake issue in Melbourne saw him retire from a race for the first time in two years.
“It was a little hiccup the last race, but I’m very happy that we’re back on top,” said Verstappen, who has taken an early stranglehold on the world championship.
Perez, who failed to finish at Suzuka last year, picked up his third runner-up finish of the season.
“I think we have a good momentum,” Perez said. “Last year here was probably my worst weekend, so I think if we are strong here I think we can be strong anywhere else.”
Japan’s Yuki Tsunoda was 10th for RB, scoring points at his home grand prix for the first time.
The race was red-flagged on only the second lap after RB’s Daniel Ricciardo and Williams’ Alex Albon collided in a frenetic start.
Albon’s front wing clipped into the rear of Ricciardo’s car as they jockeyed for position and both slammed into the wall before getting out unscathed, but their race was over.
The action resumed from a standing start and Verstappen picked up from where he left off ahead of Perez.
Leclerc took over the lead after Verstappen pitted on his 17th lap, but the Red Bull driver was back in front four laps later.
Verstappen and Perez consolidated their positions, leaving Norris fighting for third against the two Ferraris. A late lock-up cost the McLaren driver his chance of a podium finish.
‘SOURCE OF PRIDE’: Newspapers rushed out special editions and the government sent their congratulations as Shohei Ohtani became the first player to enter the 50-50 club Japan reacted with incredulity and pride yesterday after Shohei Ohtani became the first player in Major League Baseball to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. The Los Angeles Dodgers star from Japan made history with a seventh-inning homer in a 20-4 victory over the Marlins in Miami. “We would like to congratulate him from the bottom of our heart,” top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Tokyo. “We sincerely hope Mr Ohtani, who has already accomplished feat after feat and carved out a new era, will thrive further,” he added. The landmark achievement dominated Japanese morning news
When Wang Tao ran away from home aged 17 to become a professional wrestler, he knew it would be a hard slog to succeed in China’s passionate but underdeveloped scene. Years later, he has endured family disapproval, countless side gigs and thousands of hours of brutal training to become China’s “Belt and Road Champion” — but the struggle is far from over. Despite a promising potential domestic market, the Chinese pro wrestling community has been battling for recognition and financial stability for decades. “I have done all kinds of jobs [on the side]... Because in the end, it is very
No team in the CPBL can surpass the Taipei Dome attendance record set by the CTBC Brothers, except when the Brothers team up with Taiwanese rock band Mayday. A record-high 40,000 fans turned out at the indoor baseball venue on Saturday for Brothers veteran Chou Szu-chi’s first farewell game, which was followed by a mini post-game concert featuring Mayday. This broke the previous CPBL record of 34,506 set by the Brothers in early last month, when K-pop singer Hyuna performed after the game, and the dome’s overall record of 37,890 set in early March, which featured the Brothers and the
Olympic bronze medalist Lee Meng-yuan has become the first Taiwanese athlete to top the International Shooting Sport Federation’s (ISSF) men’s skeet world rankings, while top Taiwanese shooters won golds in each of yesterday’s finals in Taoyuan. Lee’s 6,610 points put him ahead of fellow men’s skeet medalists from the Paris Olympics Americans Vincent Hancock and Conner Prince. Lee on Monday said that he was surprised by the result, although he had expected his ranking to rise after the Games, which was also the first time a Taiwanese athlete had competed in men’s skeet. Despite topping the rankings, Lee said he believed Hancock, who