Team dominance (1-2 finishes) is the Formula One 2024 storyline.
SUZUKA, Japan—It is a good circuit to be on when you can go quick in the race. On Sunday afternoon, Max Verstappen returned to his winning ways. The Dutchman easily won the Japanese Grand Prix in a 1-2 by 12.5 seconds over teammate Sergio Perez. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz returned to the podium, taking third.
Max Verstappen: I think the critical bit was the start to stay ahead, but the car got better and better for me throughout the race. Everything went well, pit stops went well, and the strategy was good. It couldn’t have been any better.
Verstappen had no troubles, even with an early red flag that stopped the race for almost half an hour. Alexander Albon (Williams) and Daniel Ricciardo (RB Cash App) collided, but the drivers were unhurt seriously, even though they damaged the barriers, which took time to repair. Verstappen maintained the lead after the restart, even when he lost it for a time after taking a pit stop.
The rest of the top ten battled it out in a race with a lot of passing. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) took fourth after being passed by Sainz late in the race. McLaren’s Lando Norris was as high as fourth before Leclerc passed him but then held off a charging Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) to take fifth. Late in the race, George Russell (Mercedes) passed Oscar Piastri (McLaren) to finish in seventh. Teammate Lewis Hamilton took ninth ahead of RB Cash App’s Yuki Tsunoda, who became the first Japanese driver to score a point in the Japanese GP since countryman Kamui Kobayashi in 2012. The retirement ledger included Albon, Ricciardo retired, and Zhou Guanyu (Kick Sauber), who left the race with an electrical issue.
Every race in 2024 has had the winning team finish 1-2, but not many believe the streak will continue at the Chinese GP in two weeks.
