The reigning world champion erased his retirement from the last Grand Prix in Australia on Sunday after a race controlled from start to finish.
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After a closer qualifying session than expected between the two Red Bulls, the Japanese Grand Prix offered no suspense on Sunday April 7. Max Verstappen, who started in pole position, won without the slightest discussion, two weeks after his retirement in Australia. The reigning world champion beat his teammate Sergio Pérez for a third Red Bull double in four Grand Prix. The winner in Melbourne, Carlos Sainz (Ferrari), completes the podium in front of his neighbor Charles Leclerc, author of a good comeback from eighth place at the start.
The scenario of the race at Suzuka was as if stitched with white thread. The Red Bulls, well ahead in qualifying, confirmed their domination on the Japanese track. Three-time world champion Verstappen only ceded control during the pit stops, without doubting for a moment the outcome of the Grand Prix. The Dutchman signs a third consecutive victory on the Suzuka track, and confirms that the technical developments brought to Japan by his training seem successful.
The ride for Verstappen, the ordeal for Alpine
The fight mainly took place behind, for the places of honor. While Lando Norris (McLaren) seemed calmly placed within sight of third place, the British team made a mistake in its strategy, forcing its driver to finish behind the two Ferraris. Norris had better to hope for, in a Grand Prix which had the rare incident of a red flag following a minor accident after three turns between Alex Albon (Williams) and Daniel Ricciardo (Racing Bulls).
Ricciardo’s teammate Yuki Tsunoda thrilled the home crowd by taking the final point of 10th place. Further down the hierarchy, Alpine had a very complicated Sunday. The French team, which also made technical modifications to its car, saw Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly touch each other at the second start before finishing very far away, in 15th and 16th places, one lap behind the winner.