After the debacle in Australia, Red Bull returns to make a loud voice in the Japanese GP: 1-2 with Verstappen that comes before Perez. Good race for Ferrari: Sainz takes the podium, while Leclerc comeback from eighth to fourth. Disappointment McLaren, who had to compete with Ferrari but returns home with a fifth and an eighth place, while the home hero tsunoda you give yourself a point. So let's recap everything that happened.
Japanese GP, bad crash at the start!
At the start, the first 9 drivers on the grid they maintain their positions. A few positions further back, however, Albon and Ricciardo touch each other and hit the wall: bad accident but both escape their cars unharmed. red flag and race suspended after not even one lap completed.
After half an hour we start again. Unlike the first departure, this time no contact occurs. Leclerc take advantage of the advantage compound (medium versus hard) to overtake Hamilton and move into seventh position. Excellent start too tsunoda which exceeds Russell and climbs to ninth position, only to have to give up one lap later.
Norris he returns to the pits very early to fit the hard tyre, while a few positions further back Hamilton You are asked to let Russell pass, which seems faster at the moment. In the meantime, Zhou retreats for gearbox problems.
Verstappen he returns to the pits to fit the medium tire and exits 1 second ahead of Norris. With the undercut, the Englishman from McLaren managed to overtake Perez. After the red flag, strategy will be very important in this race.
Leclerc, Perez, Norris and Russell: anything happens
After 23 laps, Leclerc he still remains out on medium tires (currently second). On the radio we talk about plan C, perhaps referring to one single stop. Meantime, Perez overtakes Norris and virtually returns to second position (actually third behind Leclerc), while the two Mercedes (confined to the margins of the top 10) return to the pits to fit a second set of hard tyres.
On lap 26, however, Leclerc he goes long before turn 9 and lets himself pass by Perez. The Monegasque thus returns to the pits for his first (perhaps only) pit stop of the day, followed closely by Norris, on his second pistop. Both are fitted with hard rubber. Leclerc manages to get out for nothing in front of Russell, while Norris it must be added to both.
Around lap 35, it's time for the second pitstop also at Red Bull. Verstappen he returns to the track second, behind Sainz (with one less stop), while Perez exits the pits behind Norris but he quickly gets rid of both him and Leclerc, also recording the fastest lap.
Sainz takes the podium
37 turn: Sainz he returns to the pits and exits in fifth place, behind Leclerc e Norris. On lap 40, then, it's the turn of again Hamilton, which uses medium tires after two sets of hard tires and returns to the track ninth. Two laps later, Sergeant gets stuck in turn 9: he manages to get back on track, but is last. In the meantime, Sainz manages to overtake Norris, taking advantage of the freshest tires. Then, on lap 46, the Spaniard comes up top Leclerc and takes the last available podium position, also setting the fastest lap.
With three laps to go, Russell come on Piastres and tries to attack in the last chicane. The Englishman, however, brings too much speed and strength to Piastri outside, who has to go wide to avoid an accident. Despite the investigation, Russell still manages to take seventh place on the last lap.
Thus ends the Japanese GP, with Verstappen that comes before Perez for the third Red Bull 1-2 of the season. Ferrari finishes good third and fourth with Sainz e Leclerc, before Norris, Alonso, Russell, Piastres, Hamilton e tsunoda, which completes the top 10 with one point at home.
The appointment is in two weeks in China, with the first GP since 2019 and the first sprint of the season.
