Red Bull’s reigning world champion Max Verstappen continued his dominant run and took his third win of the season. Teammate Sergio Perez accompanied in second place.
Valtteri Bottas team Sauber suffered from a familiar problem again in the fourth round of the Formula One season at the Japanese GP.
Bottas had a good chance to fight for the team’s opening points this season, but a slow pit stop made it difficult again, and the Finn was 14th in the final results.
Bottas, who started from grid 13, succeeded and rose to 11th in the opening corner before the restart. The race was suspended for half an hour by Alex Albon and Daniel Ricciardo after drifting off the track right on the opening lap.
Suzuka’s sloping track wears out tires more than usual. Bottas, who started the restart with soft tires, came to the pits to change the hard tires already on lap seven and updated his hard tires again on lap 23.
After a promising start, Bottas’ second stop was slow, and he dropped from 11th to 15th. At the same time, Bottas stuck Haas by Kevin Magnussen back for the rest of the race.
Bottas demanded on the team radio that Magnussen, who covered the driving lines, report to the jury.
Sauber drivers have admitted, that slow pit stops have been a problem this season. Seconds have been lost in the pits now in every race of the season. Bottas’ teammate Zhou Guanyu stopped on lap 13.
– The pace was good and I should have been in the points, but it took a little too long at the second stop. After that, we were behind everyone again. The final race was behind Magnussen, Bottas commented on the Viaplay broadcast.
Red Bull’s reigning world champion Max Verstappen continued his superior going from the pole position and took his third victory of the season. Team mate Sergio Perez accompanied in second place.
The Ferraris took third and fourth place. The one who started from square four Carlos Sainz was third and Charles Leclerc rose from eighth place to fourth.
McLaren took third place in qualifying Lando Norris dropped behind the Ferrares in fifth.
1. Max Verstappen’s Red Bull
2. Sergio Perez Red Bull + 12,535
3. Carlos Sainz Jr. Ferrari + 20.866
4. Charles Leclerc Ferrari + 26.522
5. Lando Norris McLaren + 29,700
6. Fernando Alonso Aston Ma + 44.272
7. George Russell Mercedes + 45,951
8. Oscar Piastri McLaren + 47.525
9. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes + 48.626
10. Yuki Tsunoda Racing B +1 lap.
11. Nico Hulkenberg Haas +1 lap.
12. Lance Stroll Aston Ma +1 lap.
13. Kevin Magnussen Haas +1 lap.
14. Valtteri Bottas Sauber +1 lap.
15. Esteban Ocon BWT Alpi +1 lap.
16. Pierre Gasly BWT Alpi +1 lap.
17. Logan Sargeant Williams +1 lap.
Daniel Ricciardo Racing B Central
Alexander Albon Williams Middle.
Guanyu Zhou Sauber Middle.
World Cup standings