The Red Bull has been declared the constructor’s champion for the 2023 Formula 1 season. This is the team’s sixth constructor’s title. The team won this at the 2023 Japanese GP, which is the home race of their engine supplier – Honda. Red Bull has won the constructors in 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2022 and 2023 seasons.
In the first turn itself, many cars made contact and the safety car was deployed. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez had to get a new wing after he was squeezed by Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes. Meanwhile, Valtteri Bottas had a collision with Alex Albon, resulting in both cars going to the pits for repairs.
Meanwhile, at the front, Verstappen was setting up fast laps consistently. He started the race from Pole position. P2 and P3 McLaren cars pressured Max initially, but as the race progressed, the Red Bull was never under threat. Max won the race almost 20 seconds clear of P2 and managed to score an extra point for setting the race’s fastest lap as well.
The orange cars of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished in P2 and P3. This was Piastri’s first podium. The double finish has put them close to Aston Martin for a possible 4th place finish by the end of the season.
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc came in P4 while Sainz finished in P6. Hamilton finished P5 while teammate George Russel was P7. At one point, Russel was leading the race, but the tyre strategy resulted in a lower finish. Alonso came in at P8, while Ocon and Gasly of Alpine finished the top 10.
After the Japanese GP, Max has a strong 177-point lead over teammate Perez in the Driver’s Championship for the 2023 season. This means there is a possibility of securing the 2023 Driver’s Championship in the next race itself. Red Bull could also manage a 1-2 position in the standings if Perez doesn’t lose points. Lewis Hamilton is just 33 points behind Perez in P3.
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