Red Bull and Max Verstappen cruised from pole position to victory at the Japanese Grand Prix. With the win, Red Bull has officially locked up the 2023 Constructors’ championship.
Verstappen will look to close out the drivers’ championship at the Quatar Grand Prix. If Verstappen is able to outscore Sergio Perez by six points at the sprint race in Qatar, he will be able to secure the championship before the Qatar Grand Prix.
Despite clinching the constructors’ championship, the Japanese Grand Prix was not without its share of controversy for Red Bull. The FIA stewards made a decision that raised eyebrows when they permitted Perez, who had previously retired from the race due to collisions with Kevin Magnussen, to rejoin the race to serve a five second penalty, rather than defer the penalty to the upcoming Qatar Grand Prix.
Following up on their strong performance in Singapore, McLaren Racing continued to impress with both Lando Norris finishing second and Oscar Piastri finishing third.
On the other hand, Ferrari and Mercedes both seems to have regressed after last week strong showing. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz of Ferrari finished fourth and sixth, while Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell finishing fifth and seventh.
Both teams will strategize and look at what could be done differently to perform better at the Qatar Grand Prix. Only 20 points currently separate the two teams in the battle for second place in the Constructors’ championship.
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