Max Verstappen cruised to victory in the Japanese Grand Prix, while Ferrari outsmarted Mercedes with a superior strategy, securing another podium finish.
Red Bull dominated the race at Suzuka with Verstappen leading from start to finish, comfortably followed by teammate Sergio Perez. However, Ferrari’s strategic decision regarding tire choice became the focal point of the race.
The early red flag, caused by Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon’s crash, allowed teams to change tires. Mercedes opted for hard compound tires for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, whereas Charles Leclerc of Ferrari chose mediums, granting him better grip and enabling him to climb from eighth on the grid to third place.
Although Leclerc eventually lost his podium spot to teammate Carlos Sainz, both Ferraris fared much better than Hamilton and Russell, who struggled and finished well behind, missing out on significant points.
Despite starting third, Lando Norris couldn’t hold off the Ferraris and settled for fifth place. Meanwhile, Japanese driver Yuki Tsunoda achieved consecutive points finishes at his home race.
The race faced another interruption shortly after the start due to Ricciardo and Albon’s crash, requiring repairs to the damaged barrier. The restart, however, proceeded smoothly, with Verstappen maintaining his lead over Perez and Norris fending off Sainz.
Esteban Ocon expressed frustration over the radio after a collision with his Alpine teammate Pierre Gasly, though it didn’t seem to affect his race significantly. Unfortunately, Zhou Guanyu’s race ended prematurely due to mechanical issues.
Mercedes initially opted for hard tires during the early pit stop but soon had to reconsider after Hamilton complained about their performance, leading to a subsequent tire change.