Verstappen beat team-mate Sergio Perez and Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, in a race that was red flagged following an opening lap crash between RB’s Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon of Williams.
2024 F1 Japanese Grand Prix results
Cla | Nº | Driver | Car / Engine | Laps | Gap |
1 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 53 | – |
2 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull/Honda RBPT | 53 | -12.535 |
3 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Ferrari | 53 | -20.866 |
4 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 53 | -26.522 |
5 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren/Mercedes | 53 | -29.700 |
6 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 53 | -44.272 |
7 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 53 | -45.951 |
8 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren/Mercedes | 53 | -47.525 |
9 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 53 | -48.626 |
10 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB/Honda RBPT | 52 | – |
11 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas/Ferrari | 52 | – |
12 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin/Mercedes | 52 | – |
13 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas/Ferrari | 52 | – |
14 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber/Ferrari | 52 | – |
15 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine/Renault | 52 | – |
16 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine/Renault | 52 | – |
17 | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams/Mercedes | 52 | – |
– | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber/Ferrari | 12 | – |
– | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB/Honda RBPT | 0 | – |
– | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams/Mercedes | 0 | – |
2024 F1 Japanese Grand Prix report
Polesitter Verstappen led the charge to Turn 1, ahead of Perez, Lando Norris (McLaren), Sainz and Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin).
Further back, Ricciardo and Albon touched wheels on the approach to Turn 2 and both cars slammed into the tyrewall, causing a red flag. “He just squeezed me, nowhere to go,” rued Albon on the radio.
After a lengthy delay for barrier repairs, teams were able to change tyres in the pits with the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell switching to the hard compound, while fifth placed Fernando Alonso remained on his choice of softs.
Verstappen again led away from the 18-car standing restart, leading Perez, Norris, Sainz and Alonso once more. The Alpines of Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon touched on the run to Turn 1, while Russell lost a spot to Yuki Tsunoda’s RB when he locked up and ran wide, but he was able to regain the spot a lap later.
Verstappen’s leading margin was aided when the chasing Perez ran wide at Degner 2 on lap six.
Norris was the first of the frontrunners to pit, giving up third place on lap 12, while McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri stopped from fifth a lap later. Alonso, who rose to fourth, got rid of his softs on lap 14.
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