Max Verstappen returned to winning ways at the Japanese Grand Prix, fending off two determined McLaren drivers from start to finish.
Although Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri never let him breathe, Verstappen never lost control of the race.
Despite facing unrelenting pressure, Verstappen maintained his composure and led confidently throughout, thanks to a brilliant pole lap on Saturday. Since McLaren feared passing would be tough if he led early, Verstappen’s clean start sealed that concern.
Although Norris stayed within striking distance for long stretches, he could never truly threaten Verstappen’s position. Piastri, however, showed greater pace late on. Interestingly, McLaren kept their formation intact, even when Piastri hinted he could challenge Verstappen.
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At one point, Piastri radioed that he felt faster than Norris, suggesting a possible switch to pressure the Red Bull. But McLaren chose not to interfere, and both drivers eventually crossed the line just behind Verstappen.
Pit stop strategy added another layer of drama. As Norris and Verstappen entered the pits together, tension spiked. Though McLaren’s stop was quicker, Verstappen’s fierce exit pushed Norris off track.
Norris immediately accused Verstappen of forcing him off. Verstappen, however, insisted Norris went wide on his own. Stewards sided with the Red Bull driver.
Before that, McLaren had already played a dummy stop with Norris, hoping to force Verstappen’s hand. However, they ultimately brought in Piastri first to defend against George Russell’s potential undercut.
Verstappen and Norris pitted on the next lap, ensuring the top three maintained their positions. From there, they ran a controlled race, rarely separated by more than two seconds.
Further back, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc held off Russell for fourth, while Kimi Antonelli made history with a record-breaking race. He became the youngest Formula 1 leader ever at 18 years, 224 days—beating Verstappen’s 2016 record.
Moreover, Antonelli also set the fastest lap of the race, once again eclipsing Verstappen’s previous youngest record. He finished strong, closing to within two seconds of teammate Russell.
Lewis Hamilton worked an alternative tyre strategy to secure seventh place, overtaking Isack Hadjar early on. Meanwhile, Alex Albon and Oliver Bearman rounded out the top ten after spirited drives.
Lastly, Yuki Tsunoda ended his Red Bull debut in 12th place, with Liam Lawson trailing far behind in 17th.
Tags: Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Isack Hadjar, Formula One, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri, Red Bull, McLaren, Alex Albon, Oliver Bearman, Japanese Grand Prix, #NewsRoundTheClock, #nrtcnewsnigeria, #nrtcnews, #nrtcnigeria, #nrtcsports.
