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Red Bull have clinched the 2023 Formula 1 constructors’ championship after winning the Japanese Grand Prix. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free Max Verstappen’s victory in today’s race ensures they can no longer be overhauled by their rivals in the standings. Red Bull have secured the title for the sixth time since they entered the series in 2005. Having dominated the 2023 championship, they have ended the title fight with six races remaining. This is earlier than any team has ever won the title. McLaren and Ferrari won the constructors’ title with five races to spare in 1988 and 2004 respectively. “For us the most amazing year,” said team boss Christian Horner. “It’s all testimony to these guys and all the men and women back in the factory in Milton Keynes. “To Red Bull, to all our partners, it’s the collection of an incredible effort of everybody doing their bit to achieve results like we’ve done and of course Max is just on another level at the … [Read more...] about Red Bull break record with sixth constructors’ championship win

Max Verstappen can score his third drivers’ championship victory before the Qatar Grand Prix. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free The Red Bull driver’s points lead following his 13th victory of the season today means he can clinch the title in the sprint race at the Losail International Circuit in two weeks’ time. While Verstappen romped to victory from pole position his only remaining championship rival, team mate Sergio Perez , suffered a terrible race. Already on the back foot after breaking his front wing in a first-lap collision with Lewis Hamilton, Perez then crashed into Kevin Magnussen, damaging his front wing again, and subsequently retired from the race. Verstappen therefore leads the drivers’ championship by 177 points with 180 available over the remaining six rounds. Three of those rounds include sprint races and therefore offer an extra eight points on top of the 25 for a grand prix win and bonus point for fastest lap. As Verstappen has … [Read more...] about How Verstappen can clinch third championship title in Qatar sprint race

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri praised McLaren’s progress this season after securing second and third in the Japanese Grand Prix. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free The two McLaren drivers appeared on the podium together for the first time this season. Norris finishing behind winner Max Verstappen and Piastri taking his first podium in his rookie season. Norris hailed McLaren’s first double podium result since the 2021 Italian Grand Prix as an “amazing day” for his team. “A P2 and a P3 – we couldn’t have asked for any more,” Norris said. “The team did an amazing job. “My start was very good. I almost had Max, but Max is Max as well, so I didn’t have a lot of chance in turn two. So I tried, but the pace was extremely strong today compared to everyone. We’re not close to Max, but we’re not miles away either, so it was a very good day.” After McLaren started the season struggling to score points, Norris said the result was a sign of the constant … [Read more...] about McLaren drivers hail team’s ‘outstanding progress’ after first double podium

Lando Norris was infuriated at losing a significant amount of time behind Sergio Perez during a Virtual Safety Car period in the Japanese Grand Prix. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free The McLaren driver was pursuing Perez’s team mate Max Verstappen , who was leading the race, when the Virtual Safety Car period began on lap 14. It was triggered after Perez collided with Kevin Magnussen while trying to pass the Haas driver. Perez emerged from the pits shortly before the VSC period began and immediately reported his car was handling badly. Verstappen swept by him in the lead and the VSC was deployed seconds later. Although drivers were required to slow to the same speed under the VSC, Norris caught Perez, and was unsure whether he was allowed to pass the Red Bull driver. In an increasingly frustrated exchange with his race engineer Will Joseph, Norris repeatedly asked whether he should pass Perez. Joseph even suggested Perez could be “doing it on purpose” … [Read more...] about Norris accuses Perez of costing him “10 seconds” during VSC period

Norris and team-mate Oscar Piastri finished second and third at Suzuka as McLaren scored its first double podium of the season. McLaren started the season with a pair of scoreless races but has since developed the MCL60 into what is more often than not the second-best car on the grid, behind only Red Bull's constructors' championship-winning RB19. Although Norris finished 19 seconds off Verstappen in the race, team-mate Piastri was comfortably clear of fourth-placed Charles Leclerc at the chequered flag as he scored his first F1 podium. "Another amazing day for us," said Norris. "P2 and P3, so we couldn't have asked for any more. "The team did an amazing job. My start was very good. I almost had Max, but Max is Max as well. I didn't have a lot of chance in Turn 2, but I tried. "The pace was extremely strong today, compared to everyone. And I mean, we're not close to Max, but we're not miles away either. So it was a very good day. I'm very happy also for Oscar, his … [Read more...] about Norris says McLaren “not miles away” from Verstappen after P2 in Japan

It was business as usual for Max Verstappen as the reigning World Champion wrapped up the Constructors’ Championship for Red Bull with his 13th win of this season at the Japanese Grand Prix. The Dutchman was matchless at the Suzuka circuit as he romped to the victory by almost 20 seconds ahead of the McLarens of Lando Norris with Oscar Piastri third. His 26 points meant Red Bull won the Constructors’ Championship as they took an unassailable lead in the standings. However, it was a tale of two Red Bulls as Sergio Perez, twice pitting for a new front wing after hitting rivals, retired his RB19 from last place on lap 15 due to crash damage. The story of his race included two new front wings, two penalties, and a strange retired-unretired-retired situation. The Max Verstappen show resumes at Suzuka On a sweltering hot and windy Sunday at the Suzuka circuit, Max Verstappen lined up on pole position while Logan Sargeant, facing a 10-second penalty for Williams breaching the third … [Read more...] about Japanese Grand Prix: Max Verstappen wins the race and the teams’ title, Perez implodes

Bagging McLaren’s first double podium in the much-improved MCL60, Lando Norris issued this warning after the Japanese Grand Prix: “We’re coming for Red Bull!” A team that at the beginning of this season admitted they’d missed their targets with the MCL60, McLaren had a difficult start to the campaign. That led to the introduction of a B-spec car at the Austrian Grand Prix, which marked a notable upturn in performance, while their Singapore upgrade was another step forward. Lando Norris issues rallying crash after double podium Building on that, McLaren clinched their first double podium finish of this season at Sunday’s Japanese Grand Prix with Norris leading home his team-mate Oscar Piastri. His radio message to McLaren on his cool-down lap said it all: “Incredible, well done everyone, insane! Double podium, two of us up there! “We are coming for Red Bull!” “Let’s keep up the work. Incredible. Thank you to everyone in the factory, everyone here trackside. Love you all … [Read more...] about Lando Norris’ warning to Red Bull: We’re coming for you

Lando Norris admits he was “shouting and swearing” as a slow-moving Sergio Perez cost him ten seconds in race time under Virtual Safety Car conditions. The Virtual Safety Car came out after Perez had collided with the Haas of Kevin Magnussen, with both drivers requiring a trip to the pit lane for repairs. And during that VSC period, ultimate P2 finisher Norris found himself coming up behind Perez, travelling at a very slow speed, though Norris was unsure whether he could overtake the Red Bull driver or not. Lando Norris “shouting and swearing” at Sergio Perez Footage of this incident was not picked up by the cameras at Suzuka, but Norris claimed that it cost him up to 10 seconds and left him very flustered in the McLaren cockpit. Asked what was going on during that Perez VSC incident, Norris replied: “I have no idea. I don’t know. “I mean, he must have had a problem. Right? But the thing is, you can’t overtake under VSC and it’s obvious the guy has a problem and I didn’t … [Read more...] about Lando Norris left ‘shouting and swearing’ in unseen Sergio Perez VSC drama

Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and George Russell weren’t giving each other an inch as the pair battled for position at Suzuka. The Mercedes duo provided some of the best racing entertainment of the Japanese Grand Prix, with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton inseperable at points of the race as they took on differing strategies. In the early stages, Russell briefly managed to get ahead of Hamilton, only for the seven-time World Champion to swoop back past on the pit straight, while Russell found himself being pushed wide at Spoon corner shortly after. Lewis Hamilton and George Russell swap positions In the closing stages, with Russell having run a one-stop strategy to Hamilton’s two, the pair encountered each other again. With Russell leading Hamilton with five laps to go, and the Ferrari of Carlos Sainz in hot pursuit, Russell was instructed to let Hamilton past – Russell pointing out that it could wait until the last lap, and they could attempt to use DRS as a defence tool against … [Read more...] about Mercedes aiming to ‘tidy up’ Lewis Hamilton and George Russell radio dispute