F1 Japanese Grand Prix 2024 race results, standings: Max Verstappen wins, Red Bull finish 1-2 in Suzuka, Japan

2024-04-07
6 min read
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Max Verstappen has returned to winning ways in Formula 1, taking out the Japanese Grand Prix.

After retiring from the last race in Australia, the Dutchman started from pole position in Suzuka and never looked back.

Sergio Perez finished second to help secure a 1-2 result for Red Bull.

Local favourite Yuki Tsunoda also gave the crowd something to cheer about, squeezing into the points in P10. 

The Sporting News has the results and standings from Japan.

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F1 Japan: Race results and standings from Suzuka

Lap
53/53

Driver
1.  Max Verstappen 11. Nico Hulkenberg
2. Sergio Perez 12. Lance Stroll
3. Carlos Sainz 13. Kevin Magnussen
4. Charles Leclerc 14. Valtteri Bottas
5. Lando Norris 15. Esteban Ocon
6. Fernando Alonso 16. Pierre Gasly
7. George Russell 17. Logan Sargeant
8. Oscar Piastri DNF Guanyu Zhou
9. Lewis Hamilton DNF Daniel Ricciardo
10. Yuki Tsunoda DNF Alex Albon

F1 Australia: Pre-race grid order

1. Verstappen (Red Bull), 2. Perez (Red Bull), 3. Norris (McLaren), 4. Sainz (Ferrari), 5. Alonso (Aston Martin), 6. Piastri (McLaren), 7. Hamilton (Mercedes), 8. Leclerc (Ferrari), 9. Russell (Mercedes) , 10. Tsunoda (RB)

11. Ricciardo (RB), 12. Hulkenberg (Haas), 13. Bottas (Stake), 14. Albon (Williams), 15. Ocon (Alpine), 16. Stroll (Aston Martin), 17. Gasly (Alpine), 18. Magnussen (Haas), 19. Sargeant (Williams), 20. Zhou (Stake)

MORE: F1 2024 standings

Who won F1 today? Japanese Grand Prix post-race analysis

Max Verstappen returns to the top after Melbourne DNF

It appears that machinery is the only thing that can stop Verstappen at the moment, with the Red Bull driver recording his third win of the season.

His car did not let him down today, finishing over 10 seconds clear of teammate Perez.

It was a positive race for Perez, too, who never looked challenged by the Ferrari pair behind.

Daniel Ricciardo and Alex Albon involved in opening lap crash

The red flag was brought out during lap one after Albon clipped the rear of Ricciardo, sending the pair into the barriers at high speed.

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Both drivers were unscathed but the race was paused temporarily as the crash barriers were repaired.

It was a smooth restart, though, with Verstappen establishing a lead from the get-go.

The crash could be particularly challenging for Williams, who didn't have a replacement chassis on hand in Melbourne for Albon's accident at Albert Park.

They will have a week off before the Chinese Grand Prix to assess the damage and perform any repairs.

George Russell overtakes Oscar Piastri on last lap

Second-year McLaren driver Piastri made a couple of small mistakes in the late stages of the race, which saw Russell ride his tail before pushing past on the home straight on Lap 53.

That move gave the Mercedes driver P7, with Piastri settling for P8. 

It may not be a major deal this early in the season, but could be the difference in the drivers' and constructors' championships come the end of the year.

F1 Japanese Grand Prix qualifying recap

Max Verstappen continued his strong qualifying run by claiming his fourth successive pole of the season at the Suzuka circuit in Japan, with teammate Sergio Perez making it a 1-2 for Red Bull. 

The Dutchman will be looking to bounce back from a DNF in Melbourne and was bullish about his prospects after finishing in first place on Saturday during qualifying.  

"It was quite close at the end," Verstappen said after the reigning champion topped the time sheets in every session, before earning pole with a 1:28.197.

"Overall, this track is very sensitive with the tyres. The tarmac is really aggressive and when you want to go to the limit it doesn't always work out. Nevertheless, most importantly it's to be on pole."

MORE: Who will Carlos Sainz drive for next season?

McLaren's Lando Norris finished in third place behind the Red Bull pair. 

Meanwhile, RB's Yuki Tsunoda, who is the only local driver on the grid, battled hard and knocked out teammate Daniel Ricciardo in Q2. But he had to settle for P10 as he finished 1.216 behind Verstappen in the final rankings. 

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