Photo: Red Bull Racing
We are two months away from the end of the 2023 F1 season, with six more races to go. It is no surprise that Red Bull Racing has been on top of the game for most of the events, given their results in 2022. The battle for P2 and P3 rages on, as several drivers are still eager to score as many points as possible before the off-season.
After Ferrari's victory in Singapore, fans hoped things would get heated up again in Japan. And in some ways, that's what happened. Let's quickly recap how it all went down in Suzuka. Max Verstappen was fast immediately, as he was the only driver to dip below the one-minute and 32-second mark in the weekend's first practice session.
Carlos Sainz was 0.626 seconds slower in P2, while Lando Norris took third for McLaren. The Flying Dutchman shaved off another second in FP2, dominating the session with 19 laps. But this time, Charles Leclerc gave chase to the reigning World Champion, as Ferrari's ace driver was 0.320 seconds slower on his fastest lap. No one could oppose Verstappen in FP3 either, but this time, both McLaren drivers were hot on his tail throughout the session. Still, everyone was eager to see how things would go down during qualifying.
Logan Sargeant had a massive shunt during Q1 and had to retire early in the game. Lance Stroll, Niko Hulkenberg, and both the Alfa Romeo drivers would not make it through to Q2 either. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen set the pace at just under one minute and 30 seconds per lap. Lando Norris was the only driver to come close to that performance, which must have made McLaren fans quite happy.
With just 20 seconds to go before the end of Q2, Charles Leclerc was in the lead. But most drivers are giving their best towards the end of the session, and you can never know the outcome. Hamilton came close to a good result but was ultimately slower than both Perez and Verstappen. The difference between the two Red Bull drivers was shocking: just 0.001 seconds!
As Ferrari fans rejoiced for a few minutes, you could feel the disappointment in the Alpine camp as both drivers fell short of reaching Q3. Lawson, Albon, and Magnussen didn't make it either, and things were already heating up for the day's final session. Max Verstappen was on another level compared to everyone else, clocking in at 1:28.877.
McLaren took P2 and P3 thanks to Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, and these two could potentially become World Champions at one point soon. Sergio Perez finished qualifying in P5, caught between Charles Leclerc in P4 and Carlos Sainz in P6. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell followed suit, with Yuki Tsunoda in P9 and Fernando Alonso in P10.
The main event was off to a booming start on Sunday, with both McLaren aces attacking Verstappen from the get-go. Fans were also excited to see the battle between George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, which left some thinking that there might be some friction within the team. Ultimately, this is racing; even teammates can go head to head in the fight for more points.
On Lap 12, Perez hit Magnussen, and the Mexican driver had to retire afterward. Halfway through the race, there were only 15 more drivers on the grid as Albon, Sargeant, Stroll, and Bottas were out of the race as well. Oscar Piastri shined throughout the race and won the "Driver of the Day" award, and it felt wholesome seeing him score his first F1 podium.
It was a big day for McLaren, as Lando Norris took P2, crossing the line almost 20 seconds behind Max Verstappen. With this result, Red Bull Racing has already won the Constructors Championship. And Max could win another title at Round 18 in Qatar if everything goes his way. We all knew this moment was coming, so here it is. All we have to do now is wait and see if Ferrari can still get ahead of Mercedes and if Sergio Perez can hold on to P2 by the end of the season.
Carlos Sainz was 0.626 seconds slower in P2, while Lando Norris took third for McLaren. The Flying Dutchman shaved off another second in FP2, dominating the session with 19 laps. But this time, Charles Leclerc gave chase to the reigning World Champion, as Ferrari's ace driver was 0.320 seconds slower on his fastest lap. No one could oppose Verstappen in FP3 either, but this time, both McLaren drivers were hot on his tail throughout the session. Still, everyone was eager to see how things would go down during qualifying.
Logan Sargeant had a massive shunt during Q1 and had to retire early in the game. Lance Stroll, Niko Hulkenberg, and both the Alfa Romeo drivers would not make it through to Q2 either. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen set the pace at just under one minute and 30 seconds per lap. Lando Norris was the only driver to come close to that performance, which must have made McLaren fans quite happy.
With just 20 seconds to go before the end of Q2, Charles Leclerc was in the lead. But most drivers are giving their best towards the end of the session, and you can never know the outcome. Hamilton came close to a good result but was ultimately slower than both Perez and Verstappen. The difference between the two Red Bull drivers was shocking: just 0.001 seconds!
As Ferrari fans rejoiced for a few minutes, you could feel the disappointment in the Alpine camp as both drivers fell short of reaching Q3. Lawson, Albon, and Magnussen didn't make it either, and things were already heating up for the day's final session. Max Verstappen was on another level compared to everyone else, clocking in at 1:28.877.
McLaren took P2 and P3 thanks to Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, and these two could potentially become World Champions at one point soon. Sergio Perez finished qualifying in P5, caught between Charles Leclerc in P4 and Carlos Sainz in P6. Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell followed suit, with Yuki Tsunoda in P9 and Fernando Alonso in P10.
The main event was off to a booming start on Sunday, with both McLaren aces attacking Verstappen from the get-go. Fans were also excited to see the battle between George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, which left some thinking that there might be some friction within the team. Ultimately, this is racing; even teammates can go head to head in the fight for more points.
On Lap 12, Perez hit Magnussen, and the Mexican driver had to retire afterward. Halfway through the race, there were only 15 more drivers on the grid as Albon, Sargeant, Stroll, and Bottas were out of the race as well. Oscar Piastri shined throughout the race and won the "Driver of the Day" award, and it felt wholesome seeing him score his first F1 podium.
It was a big day for McLaren, as Lando Norris took P2, crossing the line almost 20 seconds behind Max Verstappen. With this result, Red Bull Racing has already won the Constructors Championship. And Max could win another title at Round 18 in Qatar if everything goes his way. We all knew this moment was coming, so here it is. All we have to do now is wait and see if Ferrari can still get ahead of Mercedes and if Sergio Perez can hold on to P2 by the end of the season.
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