Max Verstappen expressed his satisfaction after he and Pink Bull bounced again in type from their retirement in Australia final day out to assert a dominant victory on the Japanese Grand Prix.
Verstappen and group mate Sergio Perez transformed P1 and P2 on the grid on the Suzuka circuit to provide Pink Bull a 3rd one-two end from 4 races in 2024 – the one blip being the group’s troubled Melbourne weekend.
READ MORE: Verstappen leads house Perez for Pink Bull one-two at Japanese GP after early drama
With an early pink flag, heat climate circumstances after a scarcity of consultant follow working and varied tyre methods all offering potential obstacles, Verstappen finally got here house some 12 seconds away from Perez, who was an additional eight seconds up on Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz.
Talking after the race, Verstappen mirrored: “It was very good. I believe the important bit was after all the beginning, to remain forward, and after that the automotive received higher and higher for me all through the race.
“I don’t know if it needed to do with the clouds coming in, however yeah, [it was] very good. All the things simply went very well, the pit stops went nicely, the technique I believe labored out nicely, so it couldn’t have been any higher.”
RACE START: Watch the getaway in Japan as Albon and Ricciardo crash brings out the pink flags
As for a way happy he was to get again within the circulate after his DNF, Verstappen added: “It was slightly hiccup after all, the final race, however [I’m] very joyful that we’re right here again on the highest. Nice followers, in entrance of [Red Bull engine provider] Honda as nicely, [so] it’s implausible to win right here.”
Verstappen now leads the drivers’ standings on 77 factors, adopted by group mate Perez on 64 and Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc on 59, as F1 prepares to go to China’s Shanghai Worldwide Circuit for the primary time since 2019 – with the Dash format additionally in play.
“It’s going to be fairly hectic anyway with the Dash weekend,” stated the Dutchman. “After all we haven’t been there for some time, [there’s] just one follow session to essentially get into it once more, so I believe will probably be fairly fascinating.”
AS IT HAPPENED: Observe all of the motion from the 2024 Japanese Grand Prix
Along with Verstappen extending his championship benefit, Pink Bull now sit 21 factors away from Ferrari in the constructors’ battle – with driver and group seeking to do the double for the third successive marketing campaign.
