Race Report & Results 2023 Japanese F1 Grand Prix
Event: Japanese Grand Prix
Track: Suzuka Circuit
Start of the 2023 Japanese F1 Grand Prix
Weather: dry 27°C
Tarmac: dry 39°C
Humidity : 42%
Wind : 1 km/h S
Pressure: 1013 mbar
Max Verstappen won his 48th F1 race at the 2023 Japanese F1 GP today. The Red Bull driver started from pole position and won on the Suzuka circuit for the second time. It was his 13th win of the season and the 107th win for the Red Bull Racing team.
Verstappen's Masterclass Seals Red Bull's Constructor Title
The Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka was a contest where expectations met reality for Red Bull Racing. The sun-soaked track laid the backdrop for Max Verstappen's dominant run from pole position.
Drama Unfolds from the Get-Go
The formation lap itself was slow and deliberate, likely due to the teams looking to preserve their Pirelli tyres. This focus on tyres set the tone for the race to come, with strategy playing a key role throughout the 53 laps.
At the start, Verstappen was quick off the line, holding off challenges from both McLaren's Lando Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri. Chaos broke out in the back, with an incident involving Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, and Esteban Ocon that led to the deployment of the Safety Car. Bottas later retired due to damage after his Alfa Romeo also was hit hard by Logan Sargeant's Williams. Sergio Pérez and Lewis Hamilton also had a touch, sending the latter onto the grass.
A Tale of Tyres and Strategies
As the laps unfolded, Verstappen pulled away effortlessly. Strategy variations became apparent, with drivers on soft tyres struggling with degradation. Mercedes' duo of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton caught the eye as they tussled for position, while Hamilton carried some damage from his touch with Pérez.
Perez's Nightmare
Red Bull's Sergio Perez had a day to forget, being involved in multiple incidents that led to his eventual retirement. His misadventures not only damaged his car but also resulted in multiple penalties.
McLaren Shines while Mercedes Struggles
McLaren had an impressive showing, with both Norris and rookie Piastri finishing on the podium behind Verstappen. Norris held his own in second, while Piastri notched his first-ever F1 podium in third.
In contrast, Mercedes had a difficult race. A risky one-stop strategy for Russell didn't pay off. Hamilton, despite damage, managed to finish fifth, but not before some internal team drama that allowed Ferrari's Carlos Sainz to capitalize and finish sixth.
Red Bull’s Double Triumph
As Verstappen took the chequered flag, Red Bull secured the 2023 F1 Constructors' Championship for the second straight year. An ecstatic team celebrated both on the track and back at the pits, with team principal Christian Horner praising Verstappen and acknowledging Perez's contributions despite the setbacks.
Verdict
This race will be remembered for Verstappen's flawless performance and Red Bull clinching the Constructors' title. However, it also served as a compelling theatre for team strategies, on-track rivalries, and individual brilliance, particularly from McLaren's emerging stars.
Now, the paddock moves to the next venue, with Verstappen looking to close the 2023 F1 Drivers' Championship and other teams re calibrating their strategies. The drama of the 2023 F1 season is far from over, but this weekend was undoubtedly Red Bull's to savor.
Classification 2023 Japanese F1 GP
| P | No | Driver | Team | Time | Laps | Grid | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |  Max Verstappen |  Red Bull | 01:30:58.421 | 53 | 1 | 26 |
| 2 | 4 |  Lando Norris | McLaren | 01:31:17.808 | 53 | 3 | 18 |
| 3 | 81 |  Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 01:31:34.915 | 53 | 2 | 15 |
| 4 | 16 |  Charles Leclerc |  Ferrari | 01:31:42.419 | 53 | 4 | 12 |
| 5 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton |  Mercedes | 01:31:47.797 | 53 | 7 | 10 |
| 6 | 55 |  Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 01:31:48.642 | 53 | 6 | 8 |
| 7 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 01:31:56.080 | 53 | 8 | 6 |
| 8 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 01:32:13.146 | 53 | 10 | 4 |
| 9 | 31 |  Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 01:32:18.099 | 53 | 14 | 2 |
| 10 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 01:32:21.576 | 53 | 12 | 1 |
| 11 | 40 |  Liam Lawson | AlphaTauri | 01:31:01.510 | 52 | 11 | 0 |
| 12 | 22 |  Yuki Tsunoda | AlphaTauri | 01:31:02.395 | 52 | 9 | 0 |
| 13 | 24 |  Zhou Guanyu |  Alfa Romeo | 01:31:04.761 | 52 | 19 | 0 |
| 14 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg |  Haas | 01:31:08.019 | 52 | 18 | 0 |
| 15 | 20 |  Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 01:31:27.991 | 52 | 15 | 0 |
| DNF | 23 |  Alex Albon | Williams | Collision damage | 26 | 13 | 0 |
| DNF | 2 | Logan Sargeant | Williams | Collision damage | 22 | 20 | 0 |
| DNF | 18 |  Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | Rearwing failure | 20 | 17 | 0 |
| DNF | 11 |  Sergio Pérez | Red Bull | Collision damage | 15 | 5 | 0 |
| DNF | 77 |  Valtteri Bottas | Alfa Romeo | Collision damage | 7 | 16 | 0 |
Fastest lap 1:34.183 min by Max Verstappen, Red Bull RB19 Car #1 in lap 39 (221.963 km/h | S1: 33.720 | S2: 42.118 | S3: 18.345)
| 2023 Japanese F1 GP Results |
| FP1 2023 Japanese F1 GP |
| FP2 2023 Japanese F1 GP |
| FP3 2023 Japanese F1 GP |
| Quali 2023 Japanese F1 GP |
| Start grid 2023 Japanese F1 GP |
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That was very lovely, very lovely indeed, well done Rb and well done Honda
Great to see McLaren back after so many years of bad results! The last time they won a double podium must have been a decade ago?
2021
I also somehow failed to recall that when I first thought about their most recent double podium finish.
The points lead means Max will clinch the championship in the sprint if his advantage is at least 172 after that session.
Unusually many DNFs & all into the garage, with Checo & Logan clumsy into the hairpin.
Checo's brief return was surprising unless he merely did that to serve a possible 5 or 10-second time penalty to avoid a 3-place grid penalty for Qatar.
Rejoining after retiring had last happened in 2005 with the single-lap qualifying format.
Mclaren & Mercedes were somewhat slow with swapping, which would be more akin to Ferrari, although at least the former still got a 2-3 finish.
Good grief! All the carnage! I thought I was watching Bashcar!
Excellently controlled race by Max and his side of the garage. They certainly deserve both championships.
I am very impressed, but not surprised, by Oscar's performance. For some reason he lost pace in the middle stint, but came back in the final stint, and in the end was pulling away from Louise. Great to see him on the podium!
It was very entertaining to see Liam Lawson battling with Yuki Tsunoda, and he finished the race in front of Yuki, although just out of the points!
Another weekend failure for Checko! Not often you see two front wings replaced during the race! He may have been a victim the first time, but he had brain fade when he drove into Magnusson!
King George may have finished better if he had gone for a two stop race, rather than only one stop! I think Louise's drive was compromised by damage sustained in his encounter with Perez earlier in the race.
All in all, a good race. The Japanese certainly love their motor racing! The stands were virtually full even for Friday practice sessions! They say 101,000 attended on race day! Well done Japan! Great circuit and great crowds of wonderful people.
Good race, still Max then the rest, Checo and DR have to be in danger with Liam outperforming both. RB could be in danger of effectively having 2 teams with one competitive driver each and new sponsors will have high expectations. Keeping Checo sitting in the car in the garage must have been highly humiliating when all he would have wanted would have been to crawl into a corner and hide. His already low confidence must now be zero.
How would Liam perform in the second RB?
Race description: The good, the bad and the ugly. You decide.
Liam was under team orders not to pass too early in Japan, otherwise would've been 9th.
I see Max was allowed to win again; 2 slow races would've been better for business.
Lewis had stellar race considering everything was stacked against him
Lewis is a windbag always complaining, he and Lando would make a great couple.