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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

Christian Horner has labelled the Japanese Grand Prix a “shocker of a race” for Sergio Perez, after two on-track incidents contributed to him ending his afternoon early. A slow initial getaway saw the Red Bull driver squeezed at the start, suffering wing damage as he was sandwiched between Carlos Sainz and Lewis Hamilton on the run down to Turn 1 and losing places. Later on, as he was trying to make his way back through the field, he tried a hopeful lunge on Kevin Magnussen at the hairpin, but ended up being given a five-second penalty for causing a collision after making contact. Sergio Perez suffered “shocker” of a Japanese Grand Prix Perez was punished twice in the race having also overtaken Fernando Alonso under yellow flag conditions, giving him 10 seconds’ worth of time penalties and four extra penalty points on his super licence to boot. On top of having retired, Perez was told to stay in his car and then suffered the ignominy of going back out later in the race for … [Read more...] about Christian Horner bemoans ‘shocker of a race’ for Sergio Perez at Suzuka

Lewis Hamilton said he and George Russell will talk behind the scenes over their Suzuka battles as he declared beating Ferrari to P2 in the Constructors’ Championship as being “all that matters”. The Mercedes duo went to battle in the early stages of the Japanese Grand Prix, Russell launching a move on Hamilton into the final chicane, Hamilton fighting back at Turn 1 to stay ahead. A wide moment for Hamilton at the second of the Degner corners later in the race then opened the door for Russell once more, Hamilton getting his elbows out to stay ahead as Russell asked over team radio: “Who do we want to fight here? Each other or the others?” Lewis Hamilton will talk to George Russell about P2 goal As it turns out, Hamilton has an answer to that Russell question, as he said the only cause that they are working towards is securing P2 in the Constructors’ Championship for Mercedes, with battles between themselves irrelevant since neither are in the title fight. There were further … [Read more...] about Lewis Hamilton to hold ‘offline’ George Russell Suzuka talks with one goal remaining

Lewis Hamilton said it was “tough” to see that Mercedes has no progress to show for their work, with the W14 bouncing and sliding at Suzuka just like its predecessor the W13 did. Hamilton had already expressed dissatisfaction with his W14 challenger after qualifying P7 at Suzuka, claiming it had a lack of load on the rear, which in his opinion, was “100 per cent concept” related. And while Hamilton was able to gain a couple of positions in the race, crossing the line P5, he was nonetheless 50 seconds behind Red Bull’s race winner Max Verstappen, and again had some critical words for his machinery. “Exhausted” Lewis Hamilton disappointed to see no progress The bouncing phenomenon known as porpoising was what held Mercedes back in the early stages of this regulatory era, with challengers switching to ground effect aerodynamics from 2022, though Hamilton claimed the bouncing had returned at Suzuka. And to see the team so far off Verstappen out front and 30 seconds behind P2 … [Read more...] about Frustrated Lewis Hamilton rues lack of Mercedes progress: ‘Exactly same as last year’