Verstappen Wins Japanese Grand Prix as Tire Degradation Mixes Up the Field

Max Verstappen won the Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit, rebounding from his DNF two weeks ago in Australia.

Verstappen had to fight off the pack during two standing starts, one for the race start and another for a red flag that quickly followed.

High Tire Degradation

With the air and track temperatures as hot as it had been all weekend, tire degradation played a key factor in the race. While most cars started on mediums, the lap one red flag gave teams an opportunity for a free tire change.

Most cars stuck to the mediums after the red flag, but Mercedes, Alpine, and Williams all tried the hard tire in an attempt to run an effective one-stop strategy. This strategy did not pan out.

Mercedes struggled mightily once the medium tire users came in for fresh rubber. Even after pitting for another set of hards to go the distance, the team bailed on the strategy and pitted again for mediums.

Alpine and Williams both showed initial strength. Much like Mercedes however, they fell off hard once the teams who committed early to the two-stop strategy came in for their first stop.

Comers and Goers Up Front

Up at the front of the field, Verstappen would lose the lead occasionally when the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc extended their stint. The Red Bull driver still retook the lead at the conclusion of the pit cycle, sending him off to his third win of the season. Sergio Perez finished off the one-two for Red Bull.

After a strong qualifying, McLaren dropped back a bit during the race. The MCL38 was brutal on its tires throughout the race, causing both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri to fall back. Both Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc overtook the McLarens for Ferrari, coming home third and fourth.

Big Crash Early

The early red flag that impacted strategy occurred on lap one coming out of the second corner. Battling just outside the top ten, Daniel Ricciardo came across the nose of Alex Albon, collecting both cars and sending them hard into the barriers. It is yet another disappointing result for both these drivers who have struggled in the early stages of 2024.

Full Race Results

1. Max Verstappen – Red Bull
2. Sergio Perez – Red Bull
3. Carlos Sainz – Ferrari
4. Charles Leclerc – Ferrari
5. Lando Norris – McLaren
6. Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin
7. George Russell – Mercedes
8. Oscar Piastri – McLaren
9. Lewis Hamilton – Mercedes
10. Yuki Tsunoda – RB
11. Nico Hulkenberg – Haas
12. Lance Stroll – Aston Martin
13. Kevin Magnussen – Haas
14. Valterri Bottas – Sauber
15. Esteban Ocon – Alpine
16. Pierre Gasly – Alpine
17. Logan Sargeant – Williams
18. Zhou Guanyu – Sauber (DNF)
19. Daniel Ricciardo – RB (DNF)
20. Alex Albon – Williams (DNF)

F1 makes its highly anticipated return to Shanghai for the Chinese Grand Prix two weeks from Sunday. F1 has not raced in China since 2019.

Image courtesy of F1.com

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