The Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday provided yet another opportunity for Red Bull and Max Verstappen to stamp their authority on this Formula One season.
Verstappen streaked away from the field in Suzuka to claim his 13th win of the season while Red Bull won the constructors’ championships for the second year in a row.
Such has been Red Bull’s dominance this year – the team has won every race except one – that it sealed the constructors’ title with six races still remaining.
Verstappen has won 13 of those races, an astonishing return out of a possible 16, and has an opportunity to secure his third consecutive world title at next week’s race in Qatar.
“It’s an unbelievable weekend,” Verstappen said afterwards, according to F1’s official website. “To win here was great. I think the car was working really well on every [tire] compound.
“But of course, the most important was also to win the constructors’. I’m very proud of everyone working at the track but also back at the factory. We’re having an incredible year.”
While Verstappen continued his all-conquering season, it was a disastrous race for his teammate Sergio Perez who was penalized twice, for breaching Safety Car regulations and for clashing with Haas’ Kevin Magnussen, before he retired with damage to his car.
Despite Perez’s retirement, Verstappen’s victory was enough to secure his team the constructors’ championship.
Behind Verstappen, McLaren claimed its first double podium of the season as Lando Norris finished second and Oscar Piastri took third.
Norris had fleetingly challenged Verstappen on the first corner, but such is the Red Bull’s pace this year, that once the Dutchman had pulled away, only one outcome seemed possible.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz finished fourth and sixth, respectively, while Lewis Hamilton split the pair to finish fifth for Mercedes.