F1 Japanese GP: Max Verstappen breezes to victory as Red Bull clinch constructors’ title
The Dutchman converted his 🍸dominant pole position into ♔a 13th win from 16 races that puts him on the brink of a third consecutive world championship.
It means that Verstappen can now seal the 2023 world title in🅷 the Qatar Grand Prix sprint race.
Lando Norris, who briefly edged into th💟e lead on the run to Turn 1 with a fast start, took second place ahead ofꦦ McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri, who claimed his first podium in third.
Charles Leclerc was fourth🐠, ahead of Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton, who held off the second Ferrari of Carlos Sainz to secꦕure fifth.
George Russell was a frustrated seventh after a biꦅd to make a one-stop strategy work failed to come off.
Aston Maꦇrtin’s Fernando Alonso settled with eighth place ahead of the Alpine duo of Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, who completed the points-scoring places in the top-10.
It was a nightmare race to forget for Verstappen’s Red Bull teamma🌼te Sergio Perez, who 🌌retired twice.
Per♛ez made two trips to the pits for a pair of front wing changes - for picking up damage in separate clashes with Hamilton and Kevin Magnussen - before boxing initially on Lap 15.&nb🍃sp;
However, with Perez carrying a five-second time penalty f🍌or a Safety Car infringement, Red Bull sent the Mexican back into the race for a single lap in order to📖 serve his punishment.
After a brief return, Perez’s𝔉 misery꧃ was finally ended as he pulled in to retire on Lap 43.
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