For Max Verstappen, “it’s an incredible weekend”. The Dutchman and his team were a hit on Sunday September 24 at the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix (GP). The driver scored another victory in the world championship, bringing him closer to a third final coronation, while Red-Bull s His second manufacturer’s title in a row was awarded.
The double world champion won ahead of the McLarens of Briton Lando Norris and Australian Oscar Piastri, winning his thirteenth GP of the season on the Suzuka circuit – out of sixteen possible. “It’s great to win here,” said the person concerned at the finish. But the most important thing was to win the constructors’ championship, so well done to everyone at the factory, we’re having an incredible year! »
Holy Saturday in Qatar?
In fact, the Austrian team had a new match point, after the one missed from Singapore on September 17, to win the sixth title in its history. To achieve this, it had to be ahead of Mercedes by at least one point at the finish and not be ahead of Ferrari by more than 23 points. This was done since the “Silver Arrows” of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finished 5th and 7th and the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, 4th and 6th.
Red Bull also secured another drivers’ title by the end of the season, as world champions Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) and Lewis Hamilton – two of the four men mathematically still in contention for the title at the arrival from the paddock in Japan – have officially been eliminated from the race for the title.
Only Max Verstappen and his Mexican teammate Sergio Pérez remain. But a gulf separates them in the ranking: the second is 177 points behind the first. The Dutchman could officially claim the crown on Saturday October 7 and the sprint race of the Qatar Grand Prix.