Hardly any conclusions could be drawn from the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix in terms of how the world of Formula 1 looks today. Max Verstappen and Red Bull seemed to be unstoppable, with Sergio Perez on the podium as well.
By the Japanese Grand Prix of 2024, everything looked like how things went a year before in 2023, as the so-called turning point only came two rounds later in Miami. After he had mechanical issues in Australia, Max Verstappen managed to bounce back immediately.
After setting a statement lap in Q1, his teammate at the time, Sergio Perez, got closer to him in Q2 and Q3, but the Dutchman secured pole position for the third time in a row in Suzuka. The Mexican finished in P2, while Lando Norris completed the Top 3. The Briton was roughly three tenths behind the driver that ended up being his title rival.
The last Red Bull one-two
After Logan Sargeant's crash in FP1, the other Williams driver, Alex Albon was involved in a crash on Lap 1 with Daniel Ricciardo, causing a red flag. Max Verstappen managed to remain in the lead in terms of both starts, and never really looked back afterwards. He did have to complete a move on track for the lead, as Ferrari had with Charles Leclerc, as he stayed out for longer on the mediums.
The Dutchman won his third Grand Prix in a row at Suzuka, and thanks to Sergio Perez, Red Bull secured a one-two finish: their final one to this day. The two Ferrari drivers finished in P3 and P4 respectively, in the order of Carlos Sainz and Leclerc. And Spaniard had a late pit stop, and on the hards, he managed to get past both the Monegasque driver and Lando Norris. The Briton finished fifth.
The other McLaren driver, Oscar Piastri, finished in P8 after he was overtaken on the final lap by George Russell. Lewis Hamilton finished in P9 after a difficult day, while Yuki Tsunoda, who is set for his Red Bull debut this year at Suzuka, finished in P10, claiming points at his home Grand Prix. It was the first time since the 2012 event that a Japanese driver scored points, when Kamui Kobayashi crossed the finish line in P3.
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