We expected a rainy race and serious excitement from Suzuka, but we got a perfectly controlled class victory from Max Verstappen, which was not disturbed by anything, not even the promised precipitation.
Because it did not arrive, just like the sparkling battles and the fireworks. We will not remember the Japanese Grand Prix as the race of the year, which had essentially two main, cardinal moments: one was the start, which Verstappen smoothly executed ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, with the McLarens having no chance for a position change. This did not work on the track either in terms of strength and pace, so Norris and his team wanted to achieve this through tactics, which almost succeeded. Verstappen and Norris practically finished at the same time and rolled out of the pit lane, and it was only thanks to the Dutchman's aggressiveness that there was no position swap.
Thus, the order at the front was Verstappen, Norris, and Piastri, while behind them, Charles Leclerc was circulating in a vacuum. Following them, two Mercedes were further behind in the form of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli - the latter definitely deserves praise for his balanced and excellent performance as a rookie in a top team. The only positive aspect of the race - alongside Verstappen's flawless performance - was the battle between the two McLarens and the performance of the rookies. Because not only did Antonelli excel, but Isaac Hadjar was also aiming for significant points, and Oliver Bearman once again appeared among the points scorers. However, the situation at the front did not change, so in the end, Max Verstappen achieved an incredibly smooth, class victory worthy of his name, ahead of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri at the Japanese Grand Prix.
Photo: Independent / Japan GP
