Verstappen fends off McLaren challenge to win Japanese GP

Verstappen headed Norris to the flag after 53-laps of racing with Oscar Piastri third after a tense encounter.

The Dutchman never enjoyed a comfortable advantage but never put a foot wrong despite slippery conditions and a damp track.

It was his fourth successive win at Suzuka, a result built on his immense qualifying effort on Saturday.

As the five red lights went out, Verstappen swept across the road to hold the lead into Turn 1 as Norris slotted into second head of Piastri and Leclerc in a steady start on the damp track.

The field started on slicks, most on mediums, and miraculously survived the opening corners without incident.

While there was no change at the front of the field, Yuki Tsunoda did inch by Liam Lawson on the opening lap to sit 13th ahead of the Racing Bulls driver in 14th.

The move came at Spoon Curve, as the back end of the Racing Bulls snapped sideways, forcing the Kiwi out of the throttle and opening the door for Tsunoda to move through.

While broadly dry, there were damp patches around the circuit, moistened by a light drizzle in the minutes before the race.

It was unquestionably a slick-tyre track, the damp spots largely isolated and quickly disappearing from the racing line.

Out front, Verstappen was enjoying the advantage of clean air to open a 1.7s advantage over Norris after six laps.

The Brit was under pressure from Piastri in third, the Australian within DRS range.

The McLaren pair also inching clear of Leclerc, the Ferrari having slipped 1.2s back from the papaya duo.

As the gap to Verstappen remained largely stable, it suggested the leaders were managing their pace at a speed dictated by the Dutchman.

In 14th, Lawson had lost contact with Tsunoda as he ran at the head of a DRS train, with Carlos Sainz, Nico Hulkenberg, Esteban Ocon, Jack Doohan, Lance Stroll, and Gabriel Bortoleto all running in his wheel tracks.

Having started on soft tyres, Stroll pulled himself out of that queue by pitting at the end of Lap 9 for hard compound rubber.

The opening stanza was tense as the leaders waited for gaps to open up behind them from which they could emerge after a pit stop.

Verstappen wasn’t extending himself, stretching the pack behind him without ever bursting it open.

It left McLaren unable to make an early strategic move and use their numerical advantage over the sole Red Bull at the front of the field.

Doohan had started on soft tyres, swapping them out after 15 laps to feed out in front of Stroll – the undercut having not netted the Aston Martin much advantage.

At the end of Lap 18, McLaren attempted to sell Red Bull a dummy by calling Norris into the pits, but the McLaren driver remained on track while his rival failed to fall for the ruse.

George Russell was the first of the leaders to take to the pits, doing so after 20 laps while running fifth and feeding out narrowly ahead of Tsunoda who ran 13th.

That signalled the moment Verstappen opened the tap, lifting his pace as Piastri took to the lane.

Norris was able to match the race leader as the second McLaren fed back out on track in ninth, just ahead of Fernando Alonso and with a 3.5s margin to Oliver Bearman ahead.

McLaren called Norris in at the end of Lap 21, taking to the lane at the same time as Verstappen from the lead and Leclerc in third.

Red Bull’s stop took a second longer, allowing McLaren to release its driver as Verstappen passed its pit box, the pair exiting the land side by side.

Norris took to the grass to avoid contact, but Verstappen did not change direction.

By rights, Norris should have blended out of the throttle and slotted in behind, a view shared by officials who deemed there was no action required over the incident.

As that took place, Kimi Antonelli inherited the lead with the leading four runners yet to box after 25 laps.

The young Italian continued to lead, his first experience at the front of an F1 race, until he boxed at the end of Lap 31.

That handed top spot back to Verstappen, with Norris second from Piastri, Leclerc, and the Mercedes duo of Russell and Antonelli – just as they had been before the pit stop cycle.

Again with the advantage of clean air, Verstappen had an answer for everything McLaren could throw at him.

The four-time world champion maintained a slender advantage, remaining just clear of DRS range, never able to relax but without ever being under intense pressure.

The same couldn’t be said of Norris, who had Piastri close on his gearbox after 40 laps, leading to the 24-year-old to suggested to the pit wall that he had the pace to chase down Verstappen.

Ahead, Norris was on his limit, sitting 1.5s back from the race lead.

Piastri quickly closed on his teammate as he began to shape up for a move for second place on Lap 44.

Norris responded, setting his best lap of the race next time around as he reacted to the growing threat from behind.

It saw him reduce the gap to Verstappen to just 1.1s as they began Lap 46, but he was unable to get any closer.

The squabble for second came to an end in the final five laps, Verstappen racing to a narrow victory ahead of Norris and Piastri.

Leclerc finished fourth ahead of Russell, Antonelli, Hamilton, Hadjar, Alex Albon, and Bearman to complete the top 10.

Doohan slipped behind Carlos Sainz in the closing laps to finish 15th, while Liam Lawson was 17th, having spent the final laps tucked up in the DRS train behind Doohan.