Red Bull and Max Verstappen cruised from pole position to victory at the Japanese Grand Prix. With the win, Red Bull has officially locked up the 2023 Constructors’ championship. Verstappen will look to close out the drivers’ championship at the Quatar Grand Prix. If Verstappen is able to outscore Sergio Perez by 6 points at the sprint race in Qatar, he will be able to secure the championship before the Qatar Grand Prix.
Despite clinching the constructors’ championship, the Japanese Grand Prix was not without its share of controversy for Red Bull. The FIA stewards made a decision that raised eyebrows when they permitted Perez, who had previously retired from the race due to collisions with Kevin Magnussen, to rejoin the race to serve a 5-second penalty, rather than defer the penalty to the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix.
💥 Sergio Perez, Kevin Magnussen olayı! #F1 #JapaneseGP
https://t.co/iuHbS06D7P— Red Flag (@RedFlagFone) September 24, 2023
Following up on their strong performance in Singapore, McLaren Racing continued to impress with both Lando Norris finishing 2nd and Oscar Piastri finishing 3rd.
On the other hand, Ferrari and Mercedes both seems to have regressed after last week strong showing. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz of Ferrari finished 4th and 6th, while Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished 5th and 7th.
Both teams will strategize and look at what could be done differently to perform better at the Qatar Grand Prix. Only 20 points currently separate the two teams in the battle for 2nd place in the constructors’ championship.
