Max Verstappen secured his third win of the year in front of the Japanese fans and supporters in a flawless race from his and Red Bull’s side.
With their performance glitch in Australia quickly brushed aside, the team’s seamless execution and Verstappen’s commanding drive underline their 4th championship ambitions in a row.
Verstappen’s only concern was about the start, where he managed to avoid problems but showcased a pace superior to everyone else, including his teammate. Despite initial concerns about the high temperature, the clouds rolled in, and everything proceeded smoothly.
“It was very nice. I think the critical bit was, of course, the start, to stay ahead. And after that, actually, the car just got better and better for me throughout the race.
“I don’t know if it had to do maybe with the clouds coming in, but yeah, very nice. Everything just went really well. Pit stops went well. The strategy had been worked out well, so it couldn’t have been any better.”
Following the setback at the previous Grand Prix in Australia, Red Bull demonstrated no performance issues. The spectacle both cars displayed at Honda’s home track is proof of that.
“Yeah, no, absolutely. You know, it was a little hiccup of course the last race but very happy to be here back on top. Great fans and in front Honda as well. I mean, yeah, it’s fantastic, of course, to win here.”
In two weeks, the circuit heads back to China after a forced hiatus of four years due to the pandemic. Coupled with the debut of the Sprint race format, it adds an intriguing element to the weekend. Teams and drivers will face a unique challenge in adapting quickly to a track they haven’t visited in some time.
“Yeah, it’s going to be quite hectic as always with the sprint weekend, but then of course we haven’t been there for a while. So yeah, only one practice session to really get into it again. So I think it will be quite interesting.”