Japan - Race

After Verstappen's incredible qualifying lap, only 53 laps separated him from his first victory of the season. If he only managed to keep the two McLarens at bay, he could take his 4th win around the track, and finish the weekend on the highest possible note. So did he manage to finish what he had started on Saturday?

Not much happened during the opening lap of the race. The top 10 cars fell into a tidy line, none of them changing positions. The only overtake was Alonso managing to find a way past Gasly to claim P11. On lap 6, Hamilton moved up a place, having overtaken the RB of Isack Hadjar. The closest battle among the contenders for the podium was that between Leclerc and Russell. For a while, it looked like Russell might catch up to the Ferrari, but he was never able to get close enough to attempt a move. 

The first few laps would set the tone for the rest of the race, which included few overtakes and few big moments. Russell was the first of the top drivers to pit for new hards and Piastri quickly followed his lead. Verstappen, Norris, and Leclerc all pitted a lap after the Australian. This made Antonelli the temporary race leader and with it, he became the youngest driver to ever lead a Formula One Grand Prix. 

The top two drivers being called into the pits resulted in what was probably the most entertaining moment of the race. After Norris and Verstappen bolted on their new tires, they both rushed to the pit exit. Time was on Verstappen's side but Norris had the better-positioned garage, so the two met right where the pit lane merged with the track. Norris tried to get around his Red Bull rival and overtake him before the two cars could get to full speed, but Verstappen didn't leave him any space for the maneuver. The only thing the situation resulted in was the floor of the McLaren giving the grass by the pit exit an unexpected trim. 

After Hamilton and Antonelli both pitted, the order from the start of the race was restored. While some changes happened further down the track, like the two Haas and the two Alpines being told to swap positions, the top ten would remain the same until the end of the race. For a while, there was a possibility of the two McLarens switching places, as Piastri claimed that he was quicker than his teammate, but the change never came to be. 

Despite the somewhat anticlimactic race, Verstappen managed to cinch an impressive victory and become the only driver to win in Suzuka four years in a row. After all twenty drivers crossed the finish line, the Grand Prix became the 16th race in the history of the sport in which all drivers who started the race also finished it. The point for achieving the fastest lap went to Antonelli, and the title of 'Driver of the Day', belonged to none other than the home hero, Yuki Tsunoda.

Order of the grid:

1. Max Verstappen

2. Lando Norris

3. Oscar Piastri

4. Charles Leclerc

5. George Russell

6. Kimi Antonelli

7. Lewis Hamilton

8. Isack Hadjar

9. Alex Albon

10. Oliver Bearman

11. Fernando Alonso

12. Yuki Tsunoda

13. Pierre Gasly

14. Carlos Sainz

15. Jack Doohan

16. Nico Hulkenberg 

17. Liam Lawson

18. Esteban Ocon

19. Gabriel Bortoleto 

20. Lance Stroll